Making sure that students are aware of all positive life, career and educational choices is a primary goal for administrators and staff at Hampton Bays Middle School.

According to Middle School Principal Dennis Schug, College Awareness Day is a very eye-opening and rewarding experience for the middle school students. The college and career readiness experience for eighth graders was held on Wednesday, January 4, and included talks with college-age former Hampton Bays students and children of the district’s staff.

For this year’s College Awareness Day, students from Colgate, Olin College of Engineering, Wentworth Institute of Technology, SUNY Oneonta, SUNY Geneseo, St. John’s University, MIT, SUNY Plattsburgh, Suffolk County Community College and Boston College came and discussed their experiences with members of the eighth-grade class. Everything from how to choose the right school, to the typical day of a college student, to how to pay for education was discussed during the fourth annual event.

“We are making that investment in the long term,” Mr. Schug said during a sit-down talk with school counselor Laurie O’Halloran in early January. “This college and career readiness piece is a constant conversation about real-world demands.”

 “In this day and age, having options for higher education is really important for our students, and the sooner they know those options, the better,” Ms. O’Halloran added.

Making sure that students at the middle school are aware of post-high school educational options is key, Mr. Schug said. He reported that he and his staff are committed to presenting those opportunities wherever possible. Currently, each class, from grades 5 through 8, incorporates a college visit during an annual field trip.