Alexandra Pereya may only be a sophomore at Kearny High School, but she already had the opportunity to connect with dozens of universities and career options Wednesday, April 2, as the school hosted its first ever College and Career Fair, allowing all students to explore diverse career and higher education options.
“There are so many colleges and jobs here to help get students the information they need to succeed,” Pereya said.
Pereya hopes to be a pediatrician in the future and was excited about the number of colleges in attendance, as well as organizations like Kearny Board of Health and Kessler Rehabilitation Center.
The gym was filled with representatives from over 50 local businesses, colleges, vocational and trade schools and civil-service organizations.
“This was an amazing opportunity for students to see what is available to them, whether they are college or career bound,” KHS Principal Curtis Brack said.
Universities including Kean, William Paterson and Montclair State provided students with information on how to apply and what makes their university unique. Representatives from the United States Marines, Lincoln Tech, the Kearny Police and Fire departments, Christine Valmy International School of Esthetics and Cosmetology and more were there to answer any questions for students about those careers.
Senior Christopher DelRosario already knows what his future entails.
He has been accepted into New Jersey City University and a few community colleges and wants to become a radiologist. He is already a step ahead of others, taking medical classes at KHS. He spoke to how prior to an event like this, Kearny helped prepare him for his future.
“The medical class is an elective that I take based on my interest in being a radiologist,” DelRosario said. “It allows me to get in-depth knowledge, specific to my future career. The College and Career Fair is just another step to what the guidance department already does and is great for students who may be more uncertain.”
Junior Madeline Leimberg has not yet decided what she wants to do in the future. But she said the event provided a lot of options “to choose from.”
“This is just the first year,” KHS Assistant Principal Richard Tietjen said. “I am excited to see this event continue to grow. The entire Kearny school community came together to make this day happen for our students.”
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.