Students encouraged to prepare for college and careers

Statistics show that only about half of Idaho students go on to college. It’s a statistic that concerns educators. One local elementary school is doing something about it. Dora Erickson held a college and career day.

The purpose of the college and career day was to encourage students to dream big and think about their futures. Students wore sweatshirts from their favorite college or dressed up in the uniform of a career.

Guest speakers, many of whom had graduated from Dora Erickson, were invited to talk about their careers and the education required for them.

The event organizers say some of these students may be the first in their family to graduate from high school and attend college, and it’s important for them to know they can do it if they want, and it starts in elementary school.

“This is where they learn their motivation, this is where they learn to persevere and we want to start those skills really, really early,” counselor Samantha Booth said. “And having that mindset that they can be anything they want to be is really really important in these elementary years.”