The National College Fair, where prospective students from all over Montgomery County gather for the annual hunt to find the perfect college match, took place on April 10^th at the Gaithersburg Fair Grounds.

That morning, Paint Branch juniors loaded onto their assigned buses and took the thirty minute drive to the fair. Upon arrival, students were given a plastic bag and a map, and were finally unleashed to roam the grounds in search of college information that would spark interest or confirm doubts.

Some came to the fair with specific intentions.  One of these students was Anna Lettieri who said that she “was excited to see Florida International University.”

The fair was full of activities for students to partake closely looking through the various booths and handouts that provided information on colleges.  Of course, there were also those who attended to take advantage of the opportunity to miss a day of classwork.

While at the fair, students had the freedom to choose what they felt was the best way to spend their time. For some that meant meeting with college representatives to obtain information, while, for others, it meant sitting outside on a beautiful sunny day and taking a break from school to enjoy a long overdue spring day.

Those who took advantage of talking to college representatives were able to pass along their email address through a scanning system that would allow them to receive further information from schools they were interested in.  One important aspect of the fair was exposure to colleges that students may not know much or anything about.  Jimmy Lizama came to the fair with an open mind and said that the fair “opened my eyes to different opportunities, schools, and regions.”