On September 17, Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) partnered with Moving Us Forward Incorporated to host a historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) college fair. This event was held at the Clarion Event and Conference Center in Frederick, Maryland from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  where students, families, and HBCU attendees gathered together to discuss life after high school. 

The fair allowed participants to learn about the many aspects of college with three workshops that gave students information about the admission process, sports, and financial aid. During the program, there were multiple tables where HBCU representatives informed high school students about their respective HBCUs, and one even handed out a scholarship.

Kimberely Scott, the president and founder of Moving Us Forward Inc. , shared why she wanted to organize the HBCU fair for the community.

“I feel like as an African-American individual that I have a responsibility to spotlight the education caliber that these schools can offer our students,” said Scott.

Moving Us Forward Inc. is a group committed to helping minorities challenge economic, educational, social and health injustices. They provide community activities and workshops to teach about community responsibility, K-12 curriculum, scholarships, financial principles and health and wellness.

Scott said, establishing the “historically black college university fair is so critical and so crucial being in an area like Frederick.” Scott said,  “I want students to come away with being more educated and informed about HBCUs, about why we started it, and about why they are here.”  She  wishes that more organizations continue to host events such as the Frederick HBCU fair she coordinated for the community.  

The main speaker for the event was Josh Pleasant, a performance and fitness trainer from Germantown, Maryland who specializes in athletic and youth development. Pleasant graduated from Watkins Mill High School in 2007, before  continuing his education at Kent State University where he completed a degree in Interpersonal Communications in 2012. 

Pleasant  explained that the purpose of his speech was to encourage attendees to pursue a college degree. “I hope that this event allow[ed] them to open their minds and to expand their vision but also give them a little more direction,” he said.

Pleasant said he wanted students to know that “…as long as [they] apply [themselves] and put [themselves]  in the right opportunities…a lot of things can happen in [their] life.” His final piece of advice for high school students is to ultimately choose a school that feels like home. 

The HBCU fair was a pleasant, informative experience for many of the attendees. Daniel Apau, a junior at Linganore High School, described the fair as “a very insightful event that gave information that could be used to map out [one’s] future.”

Overall, the fair allowed students in FCPS to become more educated about their HBCU options. To find out more information about HBCUs and what they’re about,  learn more here.