Seattle College Fair – A Huge Success

The Seattle College Fair was held this past Saturday, June 12th at Seattle Central Community College. Over 300 people, including students, parents, and family members, came from all over the city to learn strategies for college planning and preparation. The event kicked-off with emcee Jesse Jones of King 5 News, followed by brief speeches by Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn and Chief Academic Officer of Seattle Public Schools, Dr. Susan Enfield. The keynote speech was delivered by Anthony Kelley, former UW football player and an inspiration to many students.

The fair held a number of workshops that assisted students and parents on topics such as:

• Financing college
• Getting into college
• Community colleges
• Parental involvement in the college going process
• Why college matters (student panel)

Seven organizations sponsored the event, including:

• Alliance for Education
• City of Seattle
• College Success Foundation
• NELA (Northwest Education Loan Association)
• Seattle Central Community College
• Seattle Public Schools
• Washington Higher Education Board

97% of participants that filled out the evaluation at the end of the event said that they know more now about college planning and how to pay for college than prior to the event.

Over 50 students applied for the College Bound scholarship, a state-funded scholarship designed to motivate 7th and 8th grade students to pursue a college education. To learn more about the scholarship please visit the website: http://www.hecb.wa.gov/Paying/waaidprgm/CollegeBoundScholarship.asp.

- Mark Yango, AFE