This September, Chico High held an open entry college fair for parents and students interested in higher education. There were a variety of stalls, ranging from universities to trade schools, as well as stalls representing branches of the military and courses in public safety. With a packed building and plenty of representatives to talk to, hundreds of people began to make their way around the building, asking questions, grabbing fliers, and waiting in a lot of lines. However, as the college fair had an impressive variety of options, it wouldn’t be feasible to cover every single school and course in detail. Instead, we’ve put together an overview of the event, and picked out some of the most noteworthy highlights.
For starters, as the name implies, the Chico College Fair consisted mainly of local colleges and universities, such as CSUS and UCS, as well as a number of private and out-of-state schools. Some of the familiar entries include Chico State’s Anthropology Department, who had a variety of interesting displays, the head of which explained that they recommended their department because “people can discover life changing knowledge,” as well as UC San Diego, whose representative said that she “liked that even though it’s often assumed to be just a STEM school, it’s also very centered around performing arts.” Additionally, there are some interesting facts about other California colleges; for example, the representative for Cal Poly said that “their majors tie into the local tribes and community,” and that classes are “based in the local wilderness.” Did you know that UC Davis was originally UC Berkeley’s farm? Dealing with a number of veterinary sciences, UC Davis’s roots in animal and agricultural fields give it a competitive edge; according to their representative, they have actual primates on campus, and are currently listed as the #1 Veterinary Research School.
But of course, there’s more to the world than just CSUS and UCS; according to their representatives, Simpson University, a private Christian university located in Redding, is a great option for those looking to “strengthen their faith” and who “want a strong community,” while also going on a lot of trips doing a number of fun activities. Grand Canyon University, in Phoenix Arizona, offers a similar sense of community, being another Christian university that recommends themselves for “people who want to try new things and start a new chapter in their life,” has open arms, not requiring their students to follow the same faith. With some different specialties, there’s also the University of Oregon, which is a tier 1 AAU member college, with a beautiful campus and numerous study abroad programs, while still managing to not be as competitive as many other California universities.
Additionally, one can’t forget trade schools and other courses. For example, CTE (Career Technical Education) courses offer gateways into high-paying careers without as much schooling as college degrees; according to the person running the CTE stall, many courses will “only take you a year to complete”, compared to the 4 years that a Bachelor’s degree can take. Butte College also offers a number of safety courses, which were said to be interesting because you can “be interested in a number of things, and narrow it down from there.” You also can’t forget the U.S. Navy, who were wonderful conversationalists. The people running the stall for the Navy were delightful to talk to, and recommended it for everyone, because it opens people up to other cultures and parts of the world, letting you do anything, ranging from a specialized medical training that only takes 1 year instead of 4, to jobs working with language, and even jobs involved with nuclear science.
This event was a wonderful opportunity to explore all the options the world has to offer, set directly in front of you. With every stall and representative providing valuable insight into academic programs, campus life, career options, and giving a range of answers to a range of questions. The college fair was a fantastic experience and gave local students and future college attendees the tools and knowledge needed to take their next steps forward. 
