PLAINS, Pa. — Many students did not expect music, cheering, and dancing when they attended a college fair at Mohegan, Pennsylvania, near Wilkes-Barre. Organizers said they could not leave that out.
"I mean, that's a part of the culture. You know what I'm saying?" asked Brittany Stephenson with the Educational Opportunity Centers of Pennsylvania. "All of these things are a part of traditions that contribute to that academic environment."
"I didn't expect for them to start performing Meek Mill and, like, started shouting out their sororities," said Hazleton junior Isleny Defo. "But It was funny."
The Educational Opportunities Centers of Pennsylvania host the Historic Northeast PAHBCU College fair. The more entertaining aspects of college life aren't the only opportunities organizers offer students.
"This provides the opportunity for students to really know more about HBCUs, historically black colleges and universities, as well as HSIS, which are historically Hispanic, serving institutions," explained Martin Lacayo, the Director of Hispanic Outreach at King's College in Wilkes-Barre.
"We don't really have conversations about getting access to what those different institutions might look like," added Stephenson. "So today, with our posters, with our running college virtual tours, we're giving them exposure to an opportunity they might want to take advantage of."
"I like it because I was able learn about two more colleges that I know, for example, college from Georgia, from New Jersey. So I like it for the opportunities to the young people," said Hugo Macias from Hazleton.
The college fair aims to introduce students to historically black or Hispanic institutions and show them how those communities are the focus of programs at places of higher education here at home.
"To welcome our students who might be Hispanic, who might be Latino, who might be black, who really are thinking about King's College as a place where they want to start their college journey," said Lacayo.
The Historic Northeast PA HBCU College fair also allowed students to learn about financial aid and other resources needed to make their goals a reality.