Lawton High hosts annual college and career expo to connect students with postsecondary options

A school counselor at Lawton High School said the school is holding its annual college and career expo to connect students with representatives from colleges, military branches, technical programs and local employers. "Today, we're having our annual college and career expo for our Lawton High School students," the counselor said.

The counselor described the event as a way to help students identify postsecondary and career pathways before graduation. "So we're very passionate as high school counselors that students figure out their pathway before they get out of high school," the counselor said. The expo gives students a single place to talk with vendors and program representatives instead of visiting multiple off‑site locations.

Officials said the expo includes a range of participants — community members, military branches, colleges and tech programs — who set up tables and speak with students about careers and training options. "They get to set up and they get to share their passion with what they do with our students," the counselor said. The counselor added that some programs allow short periods of on‑the‑job training while attending college, noting, "1 week in a month, 2 weeks in the summer, and you get to go to college for free. And you can make about a thousand dollars a month while you're going to college."

The counselor highlighted the school's fashion merchandising and fashion design instruction as an example of a program students can explore at the expo. "Our fashion merchandising and fashion design program is really great. Your senior capstone product is actually our fashion studios," the counselor said.

Staff emphasized logistics as a practical reason for the in‑school expo. "It's easier for us to bring vendors to school and allow every student in high school to get here than it is for us to take all of the high school students to all of these different places on field trips," the counselor said, adding that the event is an important opportunity for students who are still deciding their next steps. For students who already have a plan, staff said the expo can help "solidify their decision on what they wanna do after high school."