By Isaac Montiel
The Tucson College Fair took place on the evening of Tuesday, Sept. 30 at the Tucson Convention Center, and several thousand Southern Arizona high school students—mostly seniors—took advantage of the more than 200 colleges present to answer questions about their schools.
Mr. Ruben Romero, Pueblo’s College and Career counselor, said, “It’s always important for students to make a face-to-face contact when meeting a college representative. Students always have great information about dozens of colleges at these fairs. The more options students have, the more prepared they will be for post-high school life.”
Principal Dr. Augustine Romero said, “It is really important for our students—especially our seniors—to attend the College Fair because they need to be prepared for the next level after high school.”
Besides all of the Arizona colleges and universities in attendance, many out of state colleges also had informational booths available for students.
Pueblo senior Gelsey Grijalva, one of the estimated more than 50 Pueblo seniors who attended the Tucson College Fair, said, “There were so many colleges there—it almost was overwhelming! But, there are colleges for everybody out there.” She paused and said, “I’m still not sure of where I’m attending college, but at least I know there are opportunities out there for me and the rest of my peers who might also be undecided about their futures.”
She paused and said, “I felt confident when I left the fair—it was like a wake-up call for me being a senior because now I realize how quickly this year is flying by. Up until now, I’ve been in denial about being a senior. The College Fair was definitely a slap in the face—like, ‘Wake up, Gelsey!’
Another Pueblo senior, Gabriela Gastelum, who attended the College Fair, said, “I was able to get information about a few schools—from a few film and art schools in New York City. I really want to major in broadcast journalism or anything associated with journalism. I’m so ready for the real world and I’m not afraid of graduating.”