College & Career Fair highlights student options

“It’s a chance for students to see what’s available, because they don’t know what they don’t know until they see it,” explained Charley Cattanach, director of the district’s Career, Technical & Agricultural Education programs and CEO of the Union County College & Career Academy.

And while the fair has been going for several years, it continues to grow and expand. New in 2026 was the inclusion of the school system’s very own Human Resources department and a few more interactive stations thanks to the involvement of military recruiters.

Cattanach said the fair is helpful for students and participating organizations alike, including Union County-based businesses that “keep coming back because they want to meet more kids,” which has resulted in an employability initiative that reliably bears fruit.

“And more kids are getting involved with local employers, whether it’s through work-based learning or full-time jobs,” Cattanach said.

Outside the gym, interactive simulations gave curious students a chance to check out the careers available to them in the United States Army or, courtesy of the Be Pro Be Proud bus, in more hands-on jobs across the country.

According to Sgt. Pablo Cervantes, just about any occupation a student may be interested in can be pursued while in service to the U.S. Army. Cervantes hopes to break the stereotype that everyone who joins the Army must follow the route of the front-lines rifleman. Instead, they can put their minds to work in, say, robotics, or use their hands to save lives in the medical field.

For Reginald “Reggie” Lagrone, Tour Manager of Be Pro Be Proud Georgia, the simulation stations available in the bus are making a difference in students’ lives. Already, he’s heard some say they didn’t know they had the sort of options showcased by Be Pro Be Proud.

The program introduces students to a diverse array of occupations, like commercial trucking, forestry and carpentry, heavy machinery operation, knee surgery, linework and more, and Lagrone encourages the students to explore their interests at their own pace while employing an acronym to guide them in selection.

“STP – the acronym is Skills, Talent, Passion,” Lagrone explained. “Understand the skills that you need to do what you want to do in life. Everybody has talent – figure out what your talents are and focus on those talents. No. 3, you’ve got to be passionate about being successful.”

Inside the gym, students stopped at booths to learn more about any number of available industries, organizations and post-secondary educational institutions attending the event.

For example, the Union County Sheriff’s Office and Union County Fire Department brought some of the gear that students may end up using if they decide to become first responders.

There were even incentives for students to learn where they may fit in best. At the Kubota booth, students could pick out a statement that most matched their personality and find out more about the corresponding job at the Kubota company. From there, they could pose with their statement card, post their image to social media and earn a chance to win a cooler.

Friends Christian Mullin and Eric Morales enjoy going to the College and Career Fair not just to see their community but to learn about what options they have once they graduate. They make a point of returning each semester.

“It’s so fun,” said Morales, whose attendance at the fair has him leaning toward entering the service following graduation.

Mullin, meanwhile, would like to start his own business selling solar panels, inspired by the other business professionals who come and share their experiences with a new generation of entrepreneurs.

By the end of the fair, it was clear that Union County Schools understands that it truly does take a village to raise children, and thanks to community-wide initiatives like the College and Career Fair, local students are more prepared than ever to embrace whatever comes next.