A tent set next to the Planetarium entices seniors with its decorative display of college flags and other memorabilia such as t-shirts and pencils. The canopy is the most recent in a long list of opportunities guidance counselors have given to seniors to help them plan and submit their college applications. Students were able to receive T-shirts and other college items from the awning if they finished college applications there. 

“[The is for] helping those that have not applied yet or haven’t completed college applications that they are interested in,” Counselor Carrie McKee said. “[It’s also for] looking into scholarship information that they are interested in.”

The tent stayed up all Wednesday and Thursday in hopes that more students would arrive once they learned about the possibilities available to them. Counselor Leslie Kersha estimated that the counselors manning the canopy only helped around fifteen students throughout the day. She explained that setting up the tent was only for visibility purposes.

“The Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development sponsor something called ‘Journey to College.’ That’s why it’s called the ‘Journey to College’ tent,” Kersha said. “We have gone into senior classes multiple times, and we’ve met with senior in small groups talking about what they should be doing. Many students have already applied.”

Counselor Douglas Stansberry said the counselors have given adequate amounts of encouragement to students to get help with applying for colleges. These instances include multiple class presentations during the fall, along with the College and Career fair and smaller group meetings with students’ specific counselors to get them signed up to programs such as Scoir. 

“We do have enough experiences to help students, but there sometimes aren’t enough students taking advantage of the opportunities,” Stansberry said. “One of the things [students] can do is look at the goals they have for themselves and see beyond high school and what they are doing right now. It’s a bigger picture; high school is just one part of it.”

Seniors not able to access the tent on Wednesday and Thursday have other ways of talking to their counselors, Kersha explained.

“[Students] can always stop by, but the best thing they can do is send an email to set up an appointment time,” Kersha said. “That pretty much guarantees that they will be available to meet with us. We are in meetings and classrooms; we do a lot.”

Did you visit the “Journey to College” tent? Let us know in the comments below.