SANFORD N.C. — Representatives from 27 colleges and universities visited Central Carolina Community College on Nov. 6 for a college transfer fair held at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic & Conference Center.
Those schools ranged from closer alternatives, like NC State and UNC Chapel Hill, to farther options like Appalachian State and Charleston Southern.
“We have a reputation for good attendance and good hospitality,” said Don Miller, CCCC’s Associate Dean for Academic Advising and Transfer.
The fair is part of CCCC’s efforts to support and guide students who are interested in transferring to four-year colleges after completing their programs and degrees at CCCC.
More than 100 CCCC students arrived in the first minutes of the fair alone. Those included Lee Early College 11th graders Nevaeh Thomas and Kayla Lopez, both of Sanford.
Thomas’ priority was finding a school with a good education program, because she is interested in becoming a kindergarten teacher. Lopez is interested in business.
After checking out UNC-Charlotte, they visited Greensboro College, UNC-Greensboro, and Fayetteville State University. At the booths, the college representatives tailored the information they shared with Thomas and Lopez to each of their career and educational interests.
Thomas came into the fair thinking she knew what school she wanted to attend and left with more to ponder. She realized that more colleges had education programs than she had thought, even one school she had already toured. Getting the chance to chat one-on-one with the representatives in this college fair setting was helpful for that reason, she said.
She said she also appreciates how CCCC’s Lee Early College program is exposing her to some of the required responsibilities of being a college student — while still supporting her as a high schooler.
