Preparing for A Successful Future at Explore KC Day
High school juniors and seniors across Clinton County and the region are making decisions about their futures as we head into spring. Many will choose to further their education and might choose to do so at a local community institution, like Kaskaskia College. Attending college creates many benefits and opportunities for students, including increased salaries, more career options, networking paths, skill development and more. Kaskaskia College is moving its annual Explore KC Day earlier in the calendar from April to February this year to give students more time to make decisions about their college education. Explore KC Day will be February 27 and is an event for high schoolers to learn more about what KC offers, to meet with faculty, take tours of campus, and hear directly from current students in a Q&A panel.
Kaskaskia College Student Outreach Coordinator Carrie Hancock said many high school students, especially juniors and seniors, make college registration decisions in the spring for the fall semester. In the past, Explore KC Day was later in the spring, giving students a tighter turnaround on selecting classes.
“Having Explore KC Day in February not only helps us at KC, but it also helps students who are struggling to decide what career path or major they want to pick,” Hancock said. “The whole process can seem overwhelming, especially in the spring when everything is moving quickly. Now, students will have time to think about the different programs they learned about at Explore KC Day and really have a couple of months to analyze the path they want to take.”
Deciding what to do in college can be a massive undertaking. That’s why Explore KC Day puts an emphasis on actually getting to know and exploring the programs on campus. This isn’t a superficial tour day. KC offers 45 degrees and 65 certificates across a plethora of different fields, so students need to get an in-depth look at the programs they are interested in. Kaskaskia College also boasts 200 articulation agreements with universities, meaning students can further their education after graduating from KC.
Explore KC Day is open to freshmen to seniors in high school. Students who sign up will pick three programs at Kaskaskia College they want an extensive look at while on campus. Attendees will get about 25 minutes with each department they choose, meeting with KC professors and doing hands-on activities in the actual classrooms where these programs are taught every day. Students can also take a campus tour during the day.
“One of our big hits at Explore KC Day is the Q&A panel with current KC students,” Hancock said. “It’s gone really well since we started it a few years ago. The high schoolers can ask college students questions about college life, and it resonates with them so much more because it’s from peers close to their age who are really living the college experience daily. Many of our attendees have questions on what it’s like to transition from high school to college, and the Q&A session is the perfect place for those answers.”
Explore KC Day averages 125-140 students per year. Attendees are also invited to bring along family members for the day. Breakfast and lunch will be provided, and students will receive a swag bag with KC gear. The event starts at 8am. For more information on Explore KC Day and to register, go to https://form.jotform.com/220524600160136.
