(Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25 Press Release, November 3, 2023)
On November 8th, southeast Idaho and the Pocatello area will host an inaugural event that offers attendees information about college programs, career technical training, military service opportunities, and much more. Called “Idaho After Graduation,” this will be a broad and inclusive event – like a college fair, but much better and targeting a larger audience.
Mark your calendars for Wednesday, November 8th, from 5 to 8 pm for Idaho After Graduation: A Gathering of Educational, Job, and Career Opportunities. The event will take place at Idaho State University in the Student Union Building (SUB) ballroom on the second floor. There is ample and free parking right there.
In order to best serve the students, families, and communities in southeast Idaho, the college career advisors from local high schools and Idaho State University have collaborated to create something entirely new, and Idaho After Graduation is the inaugural event. The goal is to bring together many different representatives and offerings that will inform and inspire a population ranging from high school students to those who seek a job or career reset. “College fairs are terrific, but their focus is narrow. We have hopes that Idaho After Graduation will meet the needs and inspire the future of students and their families and members of our community,” said Sarah May Clarkson, a college career advisor at Highland.
Expected to participate are all of Idaho’s ten colleges and career-technical programs; out-of-state colleges and training programs, branches of the military and recruiters from the National Guard, tribal affiliates, Idaho Department of Labor, state of Idaho higher ed / training professionals, financial aid experts, and instructors and students representing a variety of career fields and practices.
Idaho State University has graciously made space available and will be just one of many colleges present on November 8th. The brainchild of Bianca Ridley, ISU Admissions and Recruitment Coordinator, has “been thinking of new and engaging ways for local students (and their families) to connect with colleges, training programs, job opportunities, and resources that offer promise and potential for their future” Idaho After Graduation is her brainchild.
Those who attend will have flexibility to circulate throughout the tables, have their questions answered, pick up information and brochures, make connections with college and career professionals, and get guidance on the application process for colleges or training programs. In addition, there will be sessions throughout the evening that will give an introduction to financial aid and assist attendees in establishing their FSAIDs (Federal Student Aid IDs). Military recruiters will be glad to engage with attendees, as will representatives from the state of Idaho who will explain the state’s scholarship programs and Idaho Launch, which provides monies to train for in-demand jobs. Staff members from the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes can describe how tribal education and training benefits complement other financial aid and available scholarships. And representatives from the Department of Labor will, again, prove invaluable to attendees.
More than thirty institutions and organizations have committed to presenting on November 8th. There will be a number of raffles available to those who attend (college and military swag, items from local businesses), and one lucky high school senior will receive a scholarship to assist with the cost of college or training (a scholarship made possible by the organizations who participate).
The high school college career advisors have observed that local students are challenged to find the time, resources, and money to visit colleges and investigate training programs – which makes an already stressful senior year even more stressful. Jen Newsom, college career advisor at Pocatello High School, observed “our students are busy with school, work, and extracurriculars. It is hard to squeeze in college visits and college fairs. Our students know how important it is, but they have a lot on their plates – their families do, too.” And in our full and busy lives, families and those already established in careers don’t often investigate the many options available. Idaho After Graduation will be the ticket for many community members who seek to maximize their future and their great potential. The future can loom, or even seem a bit scary, but Idaho After Graduation will provide a platform from which local residents and students can put themselves on the path to a brighter future.
Registration in advance is encouraged, but not required. Go to strivescan.com to register under whichever category best applies to you.
For more information about Idaho After Graduation, contact any of the college career advisors at Pocatello, Century, New Horizons, or Highland High Schools.
