Carrie Douthit, manager of human resources at Greenscapes Land Care, reconnects with Kent County High junior Semaj Pleasant at the college and career fair on April 12. Earlier this year, Douthit interviewed Pleasant as part of the Next Generation Scholars program’s mock interviews. Pleasant has accepted an apprenticeship position at the landscaping company.
On Thursday, April 12, 2022, students and community members gathered in Trojan Arena at Kent County High School for a college and career fair hosted by Kent County Public Schools and organized by the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education (MBRT). Representatives from nearly 50 colleges, branches of the military, and local businesses and government shared information about academic programs, career opportunities, internships and more.
“Many Kent County High School students have been unable to visit colleges or explore careers because of restrictions under the COVID-19 guidelines,” said Mark Buckel, assistant coordinator of Special Education & Career and Technical Education for Kent County Public Schools. “We created this event to help facilitate connections between students, local employers and colleges in the post-pandemic world.”
Though an online review of prospective colleges and businesses can be productive, there is great value in attending college and career fairs. For example, while at Kent County High school, attendees enjoyed networking with potential employers as well as getting resume input and some interview practice. In addition, students connected with admission representatives of colleges and military branches of interest and received immediate answers to their questions.
“I frequently take our students on field trips to visit colleges and tour local businesses as part of our immersive learning experiences,” said Aundra Anderson, MBRT’s Next Generation Scholars coordinator for Kent County. “Having many of those organizations in one place and at the same time provided a great opportunity for all students to collect as much information as possible to help inform their journey toward college or career.”
For 30 years, MBRT has been connecting the business community with local schools through its Maryland Scholars Speakers Bureau and STEM Specialists in the Classroom programs. In 2017, MBRT added the Next Generation Scholars program, which provides funding through the Howard P. Rawlings Maryland Guaranteed Access Grant, administered by the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC), to enhance education and career awareness as well as college completion for high school students with a demonstrated financial need. The Guaranteed Access Grant provides an award that will help cover the cost of full-time study at a Maryland college or university for low-income families.
MBRT currently serves more than 1,600 students in six high schools across five counties. The organization is one of several that partner with leadership and school counselors at select schools throughout the state to provide grade-specific services to ensure that students who are part of Next Generation Scholars graduate ready for their next steps in college, career and life. MBRT coordinators help students and parents understand that college is an option for everyone while bridging the knowledge gap that exists for many families about college and their chosen career paths. Learn more about MBRT at www.mbrt.org.
About Maryland Business Roundtable for EducationCelebrating its 30th anniversary, the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education (MBRT) is a nonprofit coalition of leading employers that have made a long-term commitment to support education reform and improve student achievement in Maryland. MBRT is the catalyst for business, government and education to drive high student achievement that ensures a competitive future workforce for a world-class economy. For more information, please visit www.mbrt.org.
