Committed to promoting college and career readiness, Garland ISD held its “College Day 2012” on Sept. 18. Students and staff were encouraged to wear a T-shirt representing their favorite college or university. Many campuses also coordinated announcements and lessons to compliment the day’s theme.
“I think College Day is important because it gets our students excited about furthering their education,” said Nina Davoli, third grade teacher at Spring Creek Elementary. “I enjoyed getting to show my school pride and being able to tell my students how college prepared me for my career.”
On College Night, GISD continued its long-standing tradition of hosting one of the largest education fairs in North Texas. Students were able to meet with representatives from more than 140 colleges, universities, trade schools, and the military at this year’s event.
“I came in knowing that I wanted to major in physical therapy and stay in Texas,” commented Sachse High School senior Omar Ferrusquia. “I also thought I might want to attend the University of Texas. After talking with several colleges about their programs, I now think I might attend Hardin Simmons or Texas Tech University.
But College Night benefitted families beyond GISD as well. Bernadette Boone, the mother of a homeschooled student, was one of the nearly 2,500 people in attendance.
“I thought that this would be a good event for my son as he enters his senior year,” she said. “It’s a motivation to see this is the end result. I also liked that a financial aid seminar was offered. That’s very helpful.”
Breaking attendance records for the past 23 years, GISD’s education fair brought together North Texas families with institutions from around the country. That opportunity to meet people from different regions is what college recruiters found most appealing about the district’s event.
“It exposes students to schools they may not know about,” said Kristin Nimoh, admissions counselor for Drew University. “I also get to speak directly to prospective students—putting a face to a name.”
