On Wednesday, September 11, thousands of high school students were invited to Kean University to explore several colleges and HBCUs. Beginning at 10 a.m., the HBCU New York Classic Education Day was held in Harwood Arena. Many tables were set up with representatives from each college ready to present themselves to potential students. Schools like Virginia State University, AIMS Education, Morehouse College, Rowan University, NJIT, and Spelman College were featured during the fair. Kean also had several tables present highlighting departments such as the Center for Africana Studies, College of Liberal Arts, and Entrepreneurial Education Initiatives (EEI).
The arena was filled with high school students eager to take the first steps towards their college journey and create connections with prospective universities.
Raukell Robinson, CEO of New Level Educational Consulting and Event Management, explained what the event was about and her role in it.
“I manage the HBCU Football Education Day here at Kean University. We’ll have a little over 2,000 high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors here for the HBCU Football Classic Education Day,” said Robinson.
“They’re here to get more information about HBCUs and their resources, scholarships, internships, and academic courses they have to offer. This is a great opportunity, it’s free of charge, and we’ll have one here, also tomorrow in NYC, and then also we’ll have a Career Expo at MetLife Stadium on Saturday from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.”
Dr. Stephanie Baker, Executive Director of the Center for Advising, Persistence, and Success, detailed her responsibility as an advisor for current and future students.
“Our job as advisors is to really advise students and to help them to understand what majors they may be interested in and then how we as professional advisors are going to guide them all the way through,” shared Baker.
“So, our goal here today is to enlighten, to encourage, to expose them obviously to Kean University and the services that we offer. And then to shed some light on questions that so many students within our community have about getting into college at any given time.”
Undergraduate Recruiter at Morehouse College, Stefan Harden, detailed the qualities recruiters look for in students.
“Morehouse’s mission is to develop men with disciplined minds who will lead lives of leadership and service. So, students who are committed to changing the world, serving their community, and just making an impact. That’s what we look for. Students with ambition, drive, and then honestly just want to make a difference.”
The HBCU College Fair was a great success that presented high schools with the opportunity to explore many options for their future college endeavors.
