Blair hosts alumni panel assembly

On Thursday, Blair hosted a panel of recent graduates in the auditorium during both lunches. The 11 participating graduates, who attend a range of public and private universities, spoke about topics ranging from Advanced Placement (AP) classes and getting financial aid in college to life after high school in general and answered audience questions.

According to resource counselor Marcia Johnson, the event was held to give current students an opportunity to listen to advice about how to prepare for college and what to expect upon arrival. "Students are able to hear about [alumni's] challenges, what they wished they would have done in high school and they'll hear about their experiences," resource counselor Marcia Johnson said. "They learn about whether they like the school, if it's what they expected."

Among the main advice given was the importance of participating in activities during high school. Aaron King, a graduate of the class of 2011, stressed the importance of fulfilling student service learning (SSL) hour requirements for applying to schools. "Helping the community helps with getting into college," King said.

In addition to earning SSL hours, the panel stressed the importance of participating in extracurricular activities, particularly when there is a passion for the topic. 2011 graduate Eric Gabriel believes it is better to do an activity that's motivating than to do an extracurricular just for college applications. "It's important to do something you're interested in, not just something that'll look good on your apps," Gabriel said. "If your heart's not in it, it doesn't really matter."

Though the assembly was mainly geared toward sophomores and juniors, students of all grades attended and the advice given applied to all grade levels. 2009 graduate Peter Lansworth encouraged students to take advantage of the freedom after high school. "Once you get out of high school, the world is yours. Just grab it and go," Lansworth said.