Local high school seniors and top juniors began looking toward the future Wednesday as about 50 universities attended Dawson-Bryant High School's college fair.

The entire Dawson-Bryant High School student body was joined by 200 juniors and seniors from Chesapeake, Fairland, Rock Hill, Symmes Valley and South Point schools.

In addition to all the nearby colleges in the Tri-State, representatives came from Berea College, Circleville Bible College, Eastern Kentucky University, Marietta College, Miami (Ohio) University, Ohio Northern University, University of Cincinnati and many more.

Recruiters from all six branches of the armed services were also present.

"Students need to know what options they have," said Allison Ellsesser, VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) Volunteer and part of GEARUP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) who helped organize the event. "There are a multitude of different universities out there, not just the local ones."

"The primary goal of any college fair is to get students interested in college and let them figure out what they have to do to go to the college they want to," she said.

Dawson-Bryant seniors Joanie Bruce and Nicole Harris will graduate in December and still have to decide what they want to do.

"I am getting kind of nervous," Bruce said. "We have to look out for our future."

Both girls were interested by the Coast Guard booth.

"My daddy works on the river and I have been on the river my whole life," Harris said. "Right now we have a lot of options, but we have exactly 31 days to decide."

Sara Hunt, admissions counselor at the University of Kentucky, said the students have shown a lot of interest and the fair could really help them make some tough decisions about their futures.

"The setup of college fairs works well for high school students because all their options are laid out for them," she said. "It is one-stop shopping and very informal."

Dawson-Bryant senior Lesley Allen was interested in the nursing program at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

"I always wanted to be a nurse," she said. "I like caring for other people and feeling that responsibility."

Heather LePage, admissions counselor at Ohio State University's Agricultural Technological Institute said the fair has been successful for OSU

and should really benefit the local students.

"It is very important to plant the seeds so students can find out what colleges are out there and what programs are offered," he said. "This gives students a chance to explore and find out what matches what they want to do."

Vista Volunteer Nancy Webb said that Dawson-Bryant has hosted college fairs in the past but never one so large. Because it was during school hours and everyone worked together, she said they had better attendance.