Fifth-graders at Horizon and Sugarland elementary schools got an advanced look at college on March 28th.

For the second time, Dominion High School Guidance Director Kevin Terry held the Fifth Grade College Fair in conjunction with the Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) Diversity in Education College and Career Fair.

College representatives speaking to the fifth-graders included:

·        Emily Brown, Marymount University

·        Dominique Baker, University of Virginia

·        Matthew Boyce, George Mason University

·        Joe Christy, High Point University

·        Dr. James Edwards, Northern Virginia Community College

·        Rob Maddox, St. Mary’s College  of Maryland

·        Steve Shegrud, United States Naval Academy

·        Cara M. Thompson, Virginia Commonwealth University

·        Mandy Williams, West Virginia University

 Some unusual questions were asked by the fifth-graders; eliciting some unusual responses.

Does George Mason have dorms?

“We call them residence halls; that sounds a little fancier,” said Boyce.

Boyce said the possibilities for clubs at Mason were virtually limitless. “If you want to do it, we can make it happen.” There are more than 300 clubs on campus, including underwater hockey using five-pound pucks.

The students learned some facts about the Naval Academy: 52 percent of those accepted to Annapolis are in the top 10 percent of their high school class and 79 percent are in the top 25 percent. They also learned that participation in athletics is a huge plus when applying to a service academy.

Brown faced a question everybody dreads: “How old are you?” Asked to offer a range, students said between 25 and 38 (fortunately, she was on the 25 side of the equation.)

Students learned St. Mary’s has its own beach, kayaks, sailboats and wind surfing. One of its students is going to Olympic trials in wind surfing.

On a serious note, the college representatives offered some thoughts on the advantages of talking about college at an early age.

“It is always vital to start children thinking about life after high school. I look forward to programs like this one because I get to talk about all the opportunities available to students,” said Baker.

04/17/12/wbb