Connecting WCHS students with colleges and universities was the focus of a Tuesday night College Fair held at the high school.
“I want to be an immigration lawyer,” said junior Rosa Terrazas. “I’m interested in attending UT. I like that they have everything included for law courses.”
Terrazas will be the fourth in her immediate family to attend college. Among her siblings is a teacher, registered dietician and accountant.
University of Tennessee Knoxville, MTSU, Austin Peay, Tennessee Tech, Lincoln Memorial University, Western Kentucky, Bethel University, Lee University, Ole Miss, UT Southern (formerly Martin-Methodist), Trevecca University, Maryville College, Lincoln Tech, and UT Martin has representatives in attendance.
WCHS senior Lyric Cox has her sights set on Tennessee Tech to become a nurse. Junior Shayli Wade also wants to become a nurse, but she has yet to select a college. Junior Madison Farley wants to enter the criminal justice field at Tennessee Tech.
Closer to home, Motlow State Community College, Motlow’s Mechatronics and Tennessee College of Applied Technology also sent representatives.
Mechatronics is considered an exciting new field of study. It combines electrical, mechanical, control systems, and software/ computer programming.
“It is a very exciting field,” said Mechatronics instructor Mike Oliver. “If they had offered this when I was going into college, it would have been the route I took. I was very fortunate to get into it. I started this two years ago. It has been a learning curve for me. I was out of college for 35 years. I studied more than the students.”
Oliver says Mechatronics attracts all ages, “My oldest student so far has been a 67-year-old retired engineer. He was retired and bored. Now he’s in a new job. We stay in contact. I also have a student right now who is 48.”
MTSU was represented by admissions counselor A.J. Cochrane.
“The questions we get asked the most are what kind of programs do we offer, what majors do we have or what more unique majors that MTSU officers that other schools may not offer, freshmen scholarships and when they should apply, when are free application days, and they also ask if freshmen can stay on campus or do they have to stay off campus, financial aid and when to apply, and how much everything costs,” said Cochrane.
Representatives from the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines and National Guard also attended.
WCHS minority liaison Leah Simpson says the event went well and was pleased with the number of representatives and students in attendance.
