By Cassie Tulecki
Every year Conestoga College hosts a career fair to help high school students get information, and get a better idea of what is offered at colleges across the province. However, most people don’t realize that it takes a lot of staff and students to organize the event and ensure it runs smoothly.
In order to help visitors feel at ease and be well informed, volunteers helped make the transition from the various educational booths stress- free.
Groups of high school students and their families were guided from the rec centre where the majority of Conestoga’s booths were located, to the main Doon campus where 23 other colleges had booths.
The day also featured campus tours.
Students from the general arts and science program helped out at the event.
Each student is required to take the student success course in their first year, and being that they too are trying to figure out their career paths and goals, it made them the perfect volunteer candidates. Ever since 2007 the first-year students have been asked to volunteer two hours of their time at the fair.
Deborah Cox, who teaches the Strategies for Student Success course, co-ordinates this volunteer effort. “The project is a win-win for all, and the applied learning results are immeasurable,” she said.
The students are required to do a lot more work than just show up and help greet guests; they also have pre-planning sessions, and write a reflection that talks about their experience.
“To see the students embrace the opportunity and enjoy the art of giving back is very empowering,” said Cox. The students involved took their positions seriously as they answered any and all questions asked by parents and potential future students.
College representatives at the booths were approachable and were more than willing to answer any questions about the programs they offered.
The volunteers also put parents’ worries at ease and gave them an idea of what college life is really like and what they can expect for their child as they hopefully head off to college.
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