It started out slow. A few people strolling here and there, a few tables decorated with flyers and banners. Then, in what seemed to be just a few minutes, it turned into Times Square on a Friday night. Every table was adorned with school mascots, tempting pens, and cheery representatives.

In a word, the college fair was inspiring. It may seem odd to call it that, but I swear it’s true. As we get caught up in school, homework, and extra-curricular activities, it’s easy to get lost in the present and forget about the future. But alas, the college fair is here to remind us not only of the pending doom of the SAT’s, but also the promise of the highly desired “college experience”.

The college and career fair was held at the east campus of LTHS on October 26. The best thing about the college fair is its presence. You can go on to any college website and read about their subjects, tuition and alumni, but nothing beats meeting a representative of that school and talking with them about the school, campus, and overall impression of the school. The schools that really made an impression included Joliet Junior College (JJ), whose line practically blacked the walkway, Purdue, and The Air Force Academy.

The college fair opened the eyes of many students as if to say, “This is your future. Now take control of it.” Of course, the college fair is only half of the story. This is a college AND career fair after all.

The career fair was enlightening. Some of the standout careers were the FBI agents, the photographers, and the architects. Perhaps what made them stand out was the passion of the representatives. As a whole, everyone was excited to share what they do everyday and what led them to that choice. It is so valuable, as a student and a teenager, to observe, inquire, and learn from other people’s choices, outcomes, and, yes, even mistakes. The career fair did just that.

Included in the career fair was a section for trade schools. Trade schools and apprenticeships often get overlooked since they are no longer a “traditional” route of education. However, if you plan to go into a career in the beauty or engineering field, trade school might just be the way to go.

At the end of the day, the college fair was extremely helpful to everyone, young and old. It was a huge success this year, and I don’t doubt for a second that it has helped many students find their way on what can sometimes seem a very confusing road to their future.