Caption: The 11th and 12th grade students take a picture together at the entrance of the Pueri Domus school before going inside to attend the college fair. [by Rafael Meikle]
by Isabelly Carvalho
PACA students in 11th and 12th grades had the opportunity to attend a college fair on Friday, September 13, as part of a special invitation by organizers at Pueri Domus school. In the meantime, PACA teachers reminded them to make the most of the day.
As the 11th and 12th graders geared up for the highly anticipated college fair field trip, there were various expectations for all the students involved. Many wondered how the event was being organized and about its importance as an experience for high school students, especially in the final two years before graduating.
“This is your opportunity to explore options and ask questions. Be respectful, be curious, and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone,” said Swisher, the guidance counselor at PACA.
According to Swisher, the setup will include several tables, each representing different universities. It’s an informal trip, with students having the opportunity to engage in quick presentations from each university representative.
“PACA is actually the only school invited to this event, in PACA we do have college visiting but not frequently, so it’s a rare opportunity for these students to interact directly with universities,” said Swisher.
The expectations are to provide a fresh perspective for students, offering insights they may not have considered before.
As Swisher said, “It’s a chance for them to broaden their horizons and gain a better understanding of the various academic paths available to them.”
Hopefully, this experience will open up new possibilities for the 11th and 12th graders future education.
One of the students who stood out during the event was Filipe Cruz, a junior from PACA. When asked about his experience Cruz said he had productive interactions with university representatives, speaking with about eight different schools. He found these conversations to be highly informative.
“What caught my attention was their presentation of the college, highlighting the good courses and the means by which we could enter that university,” Cruz said.
While Cruz attended the fair with a fairly strong sense of what he wanted in a university, the experience did introduce him to something unexpected.
“Maybe the scholarships for Brazilians in some universities,” he said when asked about new opportunities he hadn’t considered before.
Cruz also shared that the University of Oklahoma caught his attention the most.
“I was most interested in the University of Oklahoma,” he said. “They have a wide variety of courses, and from what I gathered, they offer the largest variety among the American universities present at the fair.”
Giovanna Sousa, one of the students attending, shared her reflections on the experience, highlighting how it impacted her college search and future plans.
When asked about the college that caught her attention, Souza immediately pointed to Marymount Manhattan College.
“For my interests, I found Marymount Manhattan College the most interesting. It had all the programs I wanted, and the location was incredibly convenient, right outside Central Park. Their percentages and even the community interested me a lot,” she said.
The college fair was also an eye-opener for Giovanna, aspects of college life she hadn’t previously considered.
“Yes, many. I always thought of New York as a very distant possibility, but this college definitely opened more doors for me. I also discovered portfolios can get you scholarships in some cases, which is really helpful to know,” she said.
The fair did more than introduce Souza to new colleges; it changed the way she thinks about what she wants in a college.
She said, “I even looked at some colleges in New Zealand, Spain, and Canada as well, which were all options I would never consider.”
Before the event, Souza had focused mainly on academic programs, but the trip made her reconsider other important factors, such as the community and location of a college.
“I definitely looked more at the communities and location for the college I wanted, which wasn’t something I really thought of in itself,” said Souza.
