Richmond County Technical Career Magnet School student Elijah Landrum reports on College Night, where hundreds of colleges across the country helped Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) students explore opportunities and plan their next steps after high school. 

Students in the CSRA area joined their peers for College Night, an event that brought together hundreds of colleges and universities under one roof. The evening gave students the chance to speak directly with recruiters, gather resources, and imagine their futures after graduation. 

Guidance counselor, Tiffany Cox, who volunteered at College Night, said that College Night is about access to accurate, firsthand information. 

“It gives students an opportunity to talk to the colleges they’re interested in and get information directly from them,” she said. 

While she worked at the academic advisement table, she passed out flyers on scholarship essay preparation, recommendation letters, and other resources. 

She added, “I hope students learn about the programs colleges offer so they can make informed decisions about which schools are the best fit for them.” 

College Night sparked new interests for many students, including Aries Cunningham.

“Kennesaw State stood out to me the most because of the stuff it offers," she said. "Also, Augusta University had a film course, and I like film a lot, which would probably be my major if I were going to college.” 

Aries also said the event helped reassure his feelings about college.

“The event made me feel good," he said. "I think my future options were okay, and I got a lot of pamphlets that made me feel like things are going to be fine.” 

At the same time, student Ben Ware used the event to confirm a path he already had in mind. 

“I already had a basis for my future plans. I knew I wanted to be an engineer. So I mainly scouted out those tables,” he said. 

College Night gave him the confidence to continue.  

“It definitely affirmed that I do want to be an engineer — mechanical, electrical, or mechatronics. One of those three for sure.” 

Still, he wished for a little more space: “It should have been longer and bigger. It was really crowded, and sometimes you couldn’t even get through the hallways of tables.”

For Stanley Handley, the night opened new possibilities. 

“The Emory station stood out to me because I’d always heard good things about Emory as a law school, but I found out they have lots of different subjects too,” he said. “I found out there were lots of symphony orchestras for strings, which is very important to me personally.” 

College Night made him more hopeful about life after high school. 

“It gave me some hope and made things feel less scary. It’s not this impossible barrier to adulthood,” he explained. 

Events like College Night help students explore their options and prepare for the future. 

Ms. Cox’s advice to students is simple: “Follow your own path. Don’t just follow your classmates. College isn’t just a hangout. It’s a place to prepare for your career and your future.”