It was a packed house inside the Conference Center at the Student Union building Oct. 24 for the annual Transfer and Opportunity Fair. The event, organized by LMC’s Transfer and Career Services, hosted a variety of employers and university representatives from across the nation.
Students were encouraged to speak with representatives, as well as gather flyers, brochures, and other promotional material throughout the day. There were tables representing universities across California and the United States, including UC Berkeley, University of San Francisco, Arizona State University, University of Wyoming and others.
The event also saw appearances from organizations such as Amazon, Tesla, Antioch Unified School District and the city of Brentwood. Additionally, many of LMC’s academic departments set up tables encouraging visitors and high school students to apply.
Assistant director at the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at UC Berkeley, Emilio Sanchez, shared how Berkeley has been participating at the Transfer and Opportunity Fair for more than 10 years.
“I think it’s important to know about the student culture,” Sanchez said. “We have a very involved student population. We have over 1,200 organizations on campus, so there’s something for every type of student available on our campus.”
Other colleges echoed the sentiment of wanting students to feel involved and supported throughout the transfer process. University admissions officer at Grand Canyon University Alejandro Soto, explained how hands-on support for every student is at the forefront of GCU’s philosophy.
“We go that extra mile to make sure that those resources are available; they’re complimentary,” Soto said. “We encourage every student who is admissible to come see us before they commit.”
Employers were also eager to answer student questions in regard to finding entry-level work, job requirements, and expectations in the field. Human resources analyst at Antioch Unified School District Jackie Cortez, said she was excited to get the district into the fair.
“It’s very rewarding to work with students,” she said. “You have to want to provide that additional support for kids.”
Students were equally excited about exploring the fair. Jennifer Gutierrez, a first-year LMC student, attended the fair to meet college representatives.
“I thought this would be a great opportunity so that I could talk to the schools I want to get into, and the requirements on how I could possibly get in,” she said.
Another student, third-year biology major Heath Galiwango, heard about the fair through social media and the honors program.
“Since I am looking to apply to schools this time around…I wanted to be able to familiarize myself with different schools and options that are available to me,” said Galiwango. “I think it is important because there are so many opportunities available and accessible to students that they’re not aware of.”
One of the fair’s organizers, Interim Director of Transfer and Career Services Cynthia Perez-Nicholas, shared some insight into the process of coordinating with so many universities.
“I like being a part of a team,” Perez-Nicholas said. “Today, we experienced our LMC team, working with teams of professionals from higher education, to provide knowledge to students.”
According to Perez-Nicholas, there were approximately 45 universities, 15 employers, 10 LMC academic programs, and more than 500 students in attendance at the Transfer and Community Fair. The event ran from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a steady flow of attendees throughout.
Perez-Nicholas further emphasized the significance of the fair and its role in the lives of students.
“It is essential that LMC students see the crucial tie between educational accomplishment and a future with a broad array of career choices,” Perez-Nicholas said.
