AVID 12 students visited Aurora University for their second field trip of the year on Wednesday, Oct. 3 for the National Hispanic College Fair, along with a tour. 

AVID, an elective popular among students for its ability to help them prepare for college, is dedicated to showing students that there are many options when it comes to picking a university; college tours can help to narrow down the choices. Students can become overwhelmed with the process, so opportunities such as the National Hispanic College Fair help narrow the focus.

The fair, founded in 1991, is dedicated to helping under-represented students narrow down their future options and let them know that they do not have to be fearful of post-secondary education. At the event in Aurora, over 25 colleges, universities, and trade schools were in attendance, with some of the most popular being University of Illinois Chicago and DePaul University.

“It’s a good experience to branch out and find new schools you would never have thought of, like Indiana which I saw there,” said senior and AVID student Andrea Nunez.

WEGO students departed the school in two groups shortly after second period, arriving at Aurora University at 10:40. One student on the bus did claim that a fellow peer regurgitated their breakfast, which turned out to be false information.

Once at the university and fair, all students had around an hour to peruse the booths, speaking to recruiters about various collegiate topics.

Afterwards, around 11:45, students left the fair and had the opportunity to either eat lunch or take a tour of the campus, depending on their groups. During the tour, students had the chance to learn campus history and what currently enrolled students enjoy most about Aurora; some of these students were recognized as WEGO alumni.

Knowing the college decision process can be a difficult one for students, AVID teacher Jen Culbertson, an Aurora University alum, strongly encouraged students to research before attending any college fair. Often, a list of universities and organizations attending the fair can be found online ahead of the event.

“So, looking at the list of the schools, or companies that are going to be there and trying to see if they have some of the majors or careers that you want to go into. And then once you see if they do have those, talk to the reps to see what scholarships they offer. If you’re playing a sport, if there’s any connection with athletics you can make just to have like the face-to-face connection with someone from a school,” said  Culbertson.