Students at West Chicago Community High School attended two career fairs on Feb. 26, exploring post-secondary options during Den and after school.

The school’s third annual evening College and Career Fair was held from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the small gym, drawing hundreds of students and families. The event featured more than 70 representatives — including 30 career professionals, 35 colleges and universities, four branches of the military, and one military academy.

“College and career fairs allow students to begin building professional relationships with admissions representatives and recruiters,” Jennifer Gawenda, WEGO Counselor, said. “Ultimately, attending these events supports informed decision-making and helps students explore and narrow down their interests and future plans.”

According to Gawenda, the goal of the West Chicago Counseling Department is that “every student will graduate with a plan in place and have options that lead to purposeful and successful lives.” She said the event helps make that happen.

Gawenda also emphasized that hosting the fair at WEGO removes the barrier of travel and gives students direct access to accurate, up-to-date information about programs, admissions, financial aid, and career pathways.

The school’s focus on post-secondary planning extended throughout the day. Earlier, AVID 10 (Advancement via Individual Determination) sophomores hosted a mock career fair during Den as a lead-in to the evening’s larger event.

AVID is an elective class offered at West Chicago Community High School that aims to guide students in exploring their future by helping them research colleges, majors, and pathways beyond four-year universities. The course is offered to students of all grade levels.

The mock career fair is a graded assessment in AVID classes and was presented in the small gym during Den as an opportunity for students to explore different careers. The event was managed by freshman and sophomore AVID teachers Emily Hernandez and Michelle Walters.

“My students have really enjoyed working on this project, because it has given them a kind of way for them to look forward to past high school options,” Hernandez said.

When students arrived at the fair, they were asked to take notes on what they learned and circulate the gym to see the different careers.

The presentations consisted of a trifold, either handwritten or typed and printed, with information on a certain career the student chose, with artifacts related to the career. This allowed for many to be creative with what was seen in their presentations.

Students were asked to dress as one in their desired professions would dress.

“The career fair was great. I got to interact with lots of people who were interested in my career. We all worked really hard and got to show off what we do,” Melissa Correa, sophomore, said.