Published: November 06, 2009 10:51 am      

High schoolers check out options at Future Fair

Who says high school students don't care about the future?

The Knights of Columbus Building in Effingham Thursday was flooded with high school students attending the 2009 Future Fair who were trying to find answers from nearly 100 booths that featured local businesses and industries and area colleges and universities that would spark an idea about their future careers.

Freshmen Jessica Bowman and Mary Perkins came to the fair for bonus points for a class, but they also came to check out their choices and options for future local employment.

“And we want to know what classes we might need to take,” said Perkins, who plans to attend the University of Illinois and major in education.

Upperclassmen Ross Rudolph, Ben Zuber, Robbie Walk and Derek Deters were most interested in the career booths featuring radio broadcasting and education.

The boys are unsure what they want to do after they finish high schoola, but seniors Walk and Rudolph plan to attend Lake Land College in Mattoon and take general education classes and later transfer to a larger school.

The event, soon to be in in its 15th year, is sponsored by the Greater Effingham Chamber of Commerce & Industry and ten co-sponsors. Chamber Program Coordinator Tracy Kitchens said the fair is designed to help area youth decide what they want to do with their lives.

“We want to promote the youth of Effingham,” Kitchens said.

Freshmen Amanda McMahan, Taylor Drake, Chelsea Baker and Samantha Nieman, who are interested in becoming psychologists and educators, came to the fair to look at options following graduation from high school. The teens also were impressed with the amount and variety of booths that were available.

“It's amazing how much they help” Nieman said, “they really reach out and tell us our options.”

Samantha Newburn may be reached at 217-347-7151 ext. 131 or samantha.newburn@effinghamdailynews.com.