More than 2,000 high school students within the Northwest Mississippi Community College district attended the 2007 Career Tech Expo at Howard Coliseum on the Senatobia campus October 2-3. This is the seventh year Northwest has hosted the expo that is designed to inform local high school seniors of the career and technical opportunities available to them at any of our one or two-year programs, according to Special Populations Coordinator Rhonda Still.

“High school students toured all 22 Career Tech booths. After two years of academic and skill training at Northwest, students can will be prepared for the workforce,” Still said.

The two-day event began at 8:30 a.m. and lasted till noon. Students were ushered in and out by their respective school’s teachers and counselors.

They toured the different stations that featured displays about various career opportunities offered on all three NWCC campuses.

Mindy Chamberlain, a student majoring in Northwest's Hotel and Restaurant Management Technology, was one of the students working at that booth. Chamberlain discussed the fun-loving environment of the Hotel and Restaurant Management program, which has direct affiliation with Delta Epsilon Chi, a national fraternity that develops future leaders in marketing and distribution.

Northwest Counselor Mike Dottorey, center, answers students' questions during Northwest Mississippi Community College's Career Tech Expo, which took place on Oct. 2 and 3. Students from high schools all over north Mississippi attended the event to become familiar with programs and opportunities available to them. (Photo by LaJuan Tallo)

Ashley Haas, representing ACI Building Systems, a company that uses Computer Aided Drafting(CAD)stated, “Our company does a lot of hiring out of the Northwest Career Tech program, so we’re here talking to high school students about what we do, and what can be learned here (at Northwest).” Tech Prep Coordinator Amanda Clanton agrees. ”Sixty percent of all jobs today require a skill in addition to knowledge. We make sure new students get information about the technology programs we offer.” Student reactions to the Expo seemed universally positive. A 17-year-old student from Grenada seemed especially excited about NWCC programs, saying, “I wanted to do the Nursing program before I came, but I learned some new information today about other programs.”

“The expo really helps to show the kids exactly what Northwest has to offer,” said Ashley Finley a first-year practical nursing student from Batesville. “ A lot of students come in not knowing what they want to do, or maybe not sure if Northwest has something that would interest them. With our booth and many others, the students get to see that Northwest has a lot of neat things to offer.”