Atlanta Public Schools hosts 3rd Hispanic College and Career Event

Atlanta Public Schools (APS) hosted its third Hispanic College and Career Event, where students and their families could learn more about the resources and opportunities available to help them plan their futures.

“We like to host the Hispanic College and Career Event during Hispanic Heritage Month because it is close to our community and it’s the time where students are getting ready to apply for college,” Isabel Marsh, the APS multilingual college and career coordinator, said. “A lot of the time, these families are forgotten, or their needs aren’t as pressing as the majority. We want to make sure that we support those needs so they know we are here for them and that we are providing those resources.”

Students like Jennifer Lorenzo, a senior at Benjamin E. Mays High School, came to the college and career fair at the APS Student and Family Support Hub hoping to get more information as she begins applying to college.

“People should really come to these events because they are very helpful,” she said. “I wanted to come to the Hispanic College and Career Event because I wanted more information about scholarships and colleges. I heard a lot of good information that is very useful and learned about good colleges that I’ve never heard of.”

The Hispanic College and Career Event had representatives from The University of Georgia, Oglethorpe University, Emory University, Dalton State University, and more ready to share information about their schools with students and families in English and in Spanish.

“This is incredibly important for our community because a lot of the parents are not familiar with how the school system works here or how the college system works,” Marsh said. “A lot of them are first-time college students, so their parents haven’t had the opportunity to go to college, and they don’t understand what the process entails.”

“We like to make sure that they know that we are a resource to them, as well to assist them with FASFA, what their options are, and what scholarships are available to them so they can continue to plan for their futures,” she added.

In addition to the colleges and universities, other community partners and organizations were available to provide resources and assistance to Hispanic students and families. The Mexican Consulate, Empowerment Society ATL, the Fulton County Library, and Achieve Atlanta were just a few of the community organizations on hand to share valuable information and support services.

Families explored a variety of career development resources, received help with applying for financial aid, took advantage of mentorship programs and more. A few lucky attendees also won the raffle prize and went home with a $100 Publix gift card.

Nydia Rivera, the bilingual liaison at Midtown High School, stopped at every table at the fair and gathered information to take back to her school for students and families who couldn’t attend the event. She said she loves coming to the event every year because she continues to learn more about the different colleges that help Hispanic students.

“I love to ask a lot of questions and hear what they have to say,” she said. “When I get back to work, I’ll have some copies for the students and talk to them about all the information I got at the Hispanic College and Career Event. Then I want to talk to them individually and explain all the possibilities.”