Some local Latino middle and high school students got to check out the opportunities they have for colleges in Kentucky Feb. 9 during the second annual state-wide Latino College Fair.

The Latino College Fair is hosted by Educating Latinos for Kentucky’s Future (ELKF). According to Carmen Kirchgassner, secretary of the Office of Latino Student Affairs, ELKF is “dedicated to enhancing Latino students’ access to educational opportunities in Kentucky; ELKF sponsors cultural and educational events and hosts college fairs for Latino middle school and high school students.”

Kirchgassner said that Leo Calderon, director of the Office of Latino Student Affairs, is a member of ELKF and NKU volunteered to host the Latino Fair this year.

Different colleges from throughout Kentucky displayed what they had to offer to the visiting students.

Each school had a table with papers and pamphlets as well as a representative to give students information about each college.

“We’re here to help students find the best fit, not try to persuade them to go to the school,” said Elizabeth Tromans, a representative for Bellarmine University in Louisville, Ky.

Ashley Long, a NKU junior marketing student volunteering at the fair, said that the fair was important because it “gets students exposed to different colleges out there.”

Chevonne Baxter, representative for Kentucky State University, said the fair “exposes students to different colleges and different programs.”

The fair not only provided information about the different colleges in Kentucky, but also offered informative sessions about preparing for college, financial aid and campus and residential life tours.

Calderon said that the fair was a success because they were able to attract many students for the first time.

“It is a good opportunity to interact with other students like themselves and share aspirations with each other,” Calderon said.