It may be early in the school year, but it’s not too early for high school seniors to be looking ahead to life choices after they leave their alma mater.

Greenville High School’s 134 seniors had the chance on Thursday to speak with 20 representatives from colleges, universities and the military during the school’s own college and career fair held in the school’s auditorium.

The GHS Key Club provided refreshments for all of the recruiters in attendance at the fair.

It’s something new for the school.

“In the past, we’ve hosted the county-wide college fair here at our school. However, this year there was a change of venue,” explained GHS counselor Tomesha Hamilton. “And we decided it would be a good thing to also have a fair here just for GHS senior students.”

The benefits of such an event to their high school seniors are plentiful, Hamilton says.

“First of all, some of our students don’t have transportation to be able to get out of Greenville and visit some of these schools. This gives them the chance to talk directly with recruiters, to learn about the admissions process, scholarship applications, and to get so many of their questions answered,” the counselor explained.

By keeping the event  two hours in length rather than an all-day affair, Hamilton said it also allows the students to miss less instructional time and for teachers to lose less classroom time with those students participating in the fair.

“And by holding it this early in the school year, you see the students getting excited. They are really starting to think ahead now,” Hamilton said. “And that gives me, as a counselor, something to work with during this school year.”

Among those institutions represented at GHS’s college and career fair were the University of Alabama, AUM, University of West Alabama,  Concordia College, Auburn University, Troy University, Judson College, Alabama A&M, Marion Military Institute, the University of Mobile and Jacksonville State University along with the Army and Air National Guard, the Navy and the Marines.

“We often have recruiters contacting us and asking if and when they can come and talk to our students. Being able to coordinate it where everyone who is interested in doing so, can come and be available at the same time for our students and share this information, is wonderful,” Hamilton said.