Gibson Southern, along with the other Gibson County School Corporations, held College Go Week the week of Sept. 25. It is part of an Indiana initiative to make students more cognizant of what is offered to them after high school and how to decide what their best courses of action are.
The week was dedicated to informing students about potential opportunities for their futures, whether that be attending college, going straight into the workforce or mastering a trade before entering work.
The highlight of the week occurred on Wednesday, Sept. 27, with the school dedicating the entire day to exploring different post secondary options with students. After a scheduled two-hour delay, no regular classes were held, with classrooms first being used to watch videos on different topics relating to universities and career personality types.
As the day progressed, students attended a college and career fair, where many local universities, including the University of Southern Indiana, University of Evansville and Ivy Tech, were all present and available for questions. Colleges from all over the state were there as well, explaining to students the benefits of attending their universities.
Some students felt that the activities in the gym helped them have a better understanding of their potential choices.
“There were colleges there that I never thought to apply to,” Gibson Southern senior Logan Tooley said. “I was able to see what they offered and whether they were viable options or not.”
Following this fair, students were able to visit different classrooms where people had come in from many different professions to give a brief rundown of what to expect in that field.
One of the most prominent benefits was many Indiana universities waiving or reducing their application fees for the duration of the week.
“There’s just a big push for any kids who are thinking about college to get their applications in and completed during that time,” said Kelley Asay, Gibson Southern guidance counselor.
This event occurred in previous years but had not happened since 2020 and the dawn of COVID-19. Gibson Southern is looking to both bring back this day as well as expand on it in future years.
“We want to grow it bigger and bigger,” Gibson Southern principal Jon Adams said. “We’d like to have more trades: electricians, plumbing and HVAC (heating, ventilation, & air conditioning).”
Both of Gibson Southern’s guidance counselors, Asay and Mark Rohrer, as well as Vice Principal Amanda Sefton, all played important roles in coordinating the different events throughout the college and career fair.
The main goal of the week was to get all students thinking about their futures and the necessary steps to achieve what they want post high school.
“Just be looking ahead, just be thinking about options and making sure that you can go after any of those options,” Asay said.
