On April 17, MCHS will host the College and Career Expo in the main gym.

The College and Career Expo allows for representatives from four year universities, military recruitment, community colleges, trade schools and more to come and engage with students on behalf of their programs. On April 17, sophomores are required to attend during second period while juniors will participate during third, and AIM will be open for everyone.

Kristen Mueller, Director of Admissions and Recruitment at MCC, wants to make sure students feel prepared and comfortable for this event.

“Schools like MCC set up a table with resources and giveaways,” says Mueller. “Please ask us questions. If you don’t know what to ask, that’s ok, just step forward and we will start asking you questions.”

“We will ask for your grade, what interests you have and your eventual goals,” continued Mueller. “We do this to help us figure out what you’re looking for, and then we’ll tell you about information that accommodates those goals.”

The Expo is super important for all students because it’s a chance to visit schools and see what could be a good fit.

“This is ‘one stop shopping’ with so many college and postsecondary options in one room,” says Mueller. “It’s not often that you have access to so many college reps at once so take advantage of it.”

Feeling overwhelmed can be common at events like these.

Curtis Menke, MCHS’ College and Career counselor wants to make sure students feel comfortable and not pressured to make decisions.

“I don’t want our students to feel pressured at any point along the way,” says Menke. “… I just hope that this event makes senior year more manageable.”

With the routine of highschool, preparing for college can feel stressful.

“It’s really easy to follow the routine and rhythm of MCHS,” says Menke. “ So, post-secondary exploration, next-step exploration is a good opportunity for our students to get an idea about what’s out there.”

“I don’t expect anyone to be making decisions while they’re there,” Menke continued, “but I do expect people to engage with reps, and be proactive and get some ideas about what clicks.”

Mueller expresses that students don’t need to feel shy when confronting tables.

“We’re regular people, so try not to be shy to ask anything you’re wondering about,” says Mueller. “We really do want to answer your questions, and we’re doing our best to impress you.”

The school representatives’ goal is to connect with students and provide information about their programs.

“What we want to get out of these events is your interest,” says Mueller. “We want to connect, so we can provide more information about our college, majors and programs, upcoming events, and how to become a college student.”