The Central Kentucky College Fair, co-sponsored by Fayette County Public Schools and The Herald-Leader, was open for business last month; eager admission representatives and alumni from 162 colleges staffed tables throughout Heritage Hall. High school students poured in at a steady pace, most accompanied by parents. Some of the roughly 3,000 attendees had a well-thought-out plan of attack, although more than a few meandered. Roving groups of teenagers crossed paths with singletons; athletes, artists, cheerleaders, youth group leaders, student council leaders and just plain club members rubbed elbows as they tried to peer into the crystal ball that held a glimpse of their future.
Gary Martin, a now-retired counselor with decades of service at Henry Clay High School, sparked this phenomenon in the 1970s by organizing a college fair for Henry Clay students. Over time, students from other high schools were invited to attend, and eventually the entire affair was moved to the Convention Center. Martin sees the annual fair as a great way to encourage sophomores and juniors to begin their exploration and notes that some students eventually enroll at colleges whose representatives they first encountered at the fair. In today's world of online networking, the fair may seem anachronistic. But as Martin notes, where decisions about one's future are concerned, "The one-on-one is still actually the best route, I guess, to go. When you're doing things online, you don't really get a chance to talk to people face to face. Lesson #1: Every college search benefits from personal contact.
Educational fairs take place throughout the state and the country; they have inspired similar models for boarding schools