Page 11 - Copyright 2013 - Pamplin Media Group

October 24, 2013 NaCAC College Fair 11
By SCOTT KEITH
For Pamplin Media Group
L et’s say you want to become
one of those crime scene in-
vestigators. You want to select
a college or university, study
the discipline and get right to work
solving crimes, just like they do on
television.
Would you know which college to
choose, or what courses to take to
become a CSI?
It may not be as easy as it sounds. If
you are setting your sights on college,
the Portland National College Fair, at
the Oregon Convention Center, is ready
to answer your questions.
If this is your first visit to the College
Fair, a great first stop will be the coun-
seling booths. Joe Bernard, college
counselor at Valley Catholic High
School in Beaverton and chairman of
the Portland College Fair, said, “The
role the counselors play is to provide a
resource for students and parents who
come to the fair and need assistance
with their college search.”
Students, according to Bernard, will
be able to ask experienced counselors
questions on a number of topics —
among them, schools that provide ma-
jors, academic requirements for vari-
ous colleges, and the admissions
process.
“A lot of students come with ques-
tions that vary from precise, razor-
sharp questions — to questions from
students who come in and say, ‘I like
math, what should I study, or what can
I do if I want to be a math major in col-
lege, or an English major?’”
Bernard characterized the counsel-
ing center as “an educational emergen-
cy room,” pointing out that some stu-
dents are well prepared while others
are just beginning the search.
The College Fair can seem a bit
perplexing.
“With 300 or so colleges present, it’s
pretty overwhelming,” said Bernard.
“Students can come in and kind of get
hit hard with a lot of information.
“It’s ideal if students can do a little
self-evaluation before they arrive and
think about what schools they would
like to attend.”
Bernard said counseling is also pro-
vided by many of the colleges represent-
ed at the fair. He said participants (those
representing the colleges) can be skilled
professionals or volunteer alums who
have gone through training on how to
represent their school effectively.
Do a lot of college-bound students
have a precise career goal? Not neces-
sarily, according to Bernard.
“The majority are undecided. A num-
ber of students who show up at the Col-
lege Fair report a clear vocational focus,
but in reality students change their ma-
jors regularly upon arrival at college
and during their time at college, which
is OK,” Bernard said.
Julia Surtshin, an independent col-
lege counselor and publicity chairwom-
an for the College Fair, agrees with Ber-
nard that some students may be over-
whelmed with the fair. That’s where
homework can help.
“If they (students) haven’t thought at
all about what they want, or who they
are, or what kind of student they are,
they’re going to walk into this big exhi-
bition hall at the Convention Center and
be kind of shell-shocked,” Surtshin said.
“They won’t know what to do. They’ll
see this big line in front of the counsel-
ing table, and they’ll get in line. But
keep in mind that we only have, maybe,
less than five minutes to talk with the
students.”
During the counseling process, Surt-
shin may need to help a student narrow
his or her focus. An example is a student
seeking a career in forensics.
“Forensics means a number of differ-
ent things,” Surtshin said, noting that
while it can be related to crime scene
investigations, there can be forensic ac-
countants and forensic psychiatrists.
Forensics can also mean speech and de-
bate, she said.
If, as another example, a student is
intent on becoming a crime scene inves-
tigator, Surtshin may ask the student,
“Do you understand that that involves
math and chemistry and physics? And
they look at me like, ‘Well, I don’t want
to do that stuff. I just want to go to crime
scenes and figure that stuff out.’”
This is an exciting time for college
counselors and students, Surtshin
insisted.
“I’ve been doing this for longer than
I can remember,” she said. “When I
walk into the Convention Center, my
energy level goes up. I’m really excited
to talk to students (and parents). I want
people to walk away feeling optimistic
and confident.”
Joe Bernard,
college
counselor at
Valley Catholic
High School in
Beaverton and
chairman of the
Portland College
Fair, said that
his job is to be a
resource for
students and
parents looking
for a good fit
when choosing a
college.
SCOTT KEITH FOR
PAMPLIN MEDIA GROUP
A little counseling will help you
n
Counselors
provide
resources for
choosing
a college
to cater to
a student’s
interests
master the College Fair
In recent years,
College Fair was
well-attended
and students
came armed
with lots of
questions.
PAMPLIN MEDIA GROUP
FILE PHOTO:
CHRISTOPHER ONSTOTT