Inaugural Black College Expo in Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Hundreds of Fresno Unified students heard from colleges across the country Monday at the inaugural Black College Expo in downtown Fresno.

"The Black College Expo is very critical to the African American community and it increases college enrollment as well as allows our students to make choices of schools they feel comfortable at," FUSD Guidance and Counseling Manager, Gloria Ponce-Rodriguez said.

More than 50 colleges, including historically black universities, were out recruiting students and sharing what makes their campus a good fit for them, from academics to clubs.

"We just really see the importance of exposing our students to different options and opportunities for them," FUSD director of college readiness and counseling Nancy Witrado said.

Fresno Unified provided students with their transcripts to display and talk about possible scholarships and the admissions process.

"What's so great is they're accepted on the spot, waiving application fees, and we're over a million dollars in scholarships today," founder and CEO of Black College Expo, Theresa Price, said.

The event showcased a variety of workshops to prepare students for college from how to find money for school to how to find your dream job.

"Whatever they want to do, it's here," Price said. "Whether they want to be an astronaut or a zoologist, it's in this room. An entrepreneur, you want to be creative, it's here and the great thing is, they're giving you money to go."

If you missed out on the event this year, the Black College Expo is set to return again next year.

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