Earlier this month, two years after the COVID-19 pandemic, Moorpark College saw the return of its in-person College Transfer Fair.

Hosted by the college’s Career Transfer Center, the event took place on Sept. 1 and offered prospective transfer students an opportunity to learn more about the attending universities and the transfer experience as a whole. University representatives were available to meet with students in the quad area and along Raider Walk from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Amidst the sweltering heat wave, students were also able to enjoy free ice cream and participate in a raffle.

This year, 52 academic institutions were represented at the College Transfer Fair. Most of the universities hailed from California, but there were also an assortment of out-of-state and international universities present.

Many representatives present at the event were transfer students themselves, which allowed them to better address the needs of Moorpark College students looking to transfer.

University of California Santa Cruz representative Sandra Ponce shared her own transfer story and what inspired her to become an admissions representative.

“My personal experience going through high school [and] not knowing much about the college process, the application, basically shaped my career path,” said Ponce. “I, myself was a transfer, so I eventually found my way to work with transfer students, and I really enjoyed that process because transfer students have all types of different scenarios, so I like helping them figure out the path for them.”

Students attend Moorpark College with varying education goals. Some choose to transfer while others jump straightforward into career. Events like the transfer fair can help students feel well-informed and confident about their selected pathway.

Brooklynn Henderson, a first-year engineering student at Moorpark College commented on how the College Transfer Fair benefitted her.

“I do feel more informed actually,” said Henderson. “I learned some things I actually didn’t know about transferring, and I think it will definitely be very helpful when comes the time to transfer.”

However, the process of transferring may still be seen as daunting and overwhelming. Loyola University New Orleans admission counselor Ma’at Bingham was ready to jump in and offer advice to unsure students.

“I really enjoy helping students who kind of need that extra push, so that’s kind of why I’m in admissions today,” said Bingham.

In wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many post-secondary education institutions are still recovering from the unexpected shift to virtual learning. As restrictions ease, universities aim to put student needs as their utmost priority.

Jesus Flores, California State University Northridge representative, stated that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, student enrollment was low. However, he expressed that the possibilities for future opportunities in education did not share the same fate.

“Well across the board all systems–UCs, Cal States, private schools, even the community colleges–their enrollment is down,” Flores said. “So, I think it’s just during COVID a lot of students just withdrew and, or didn’t accomplish what they wanted accomplished during that time because of everything online. So now, we’re trying to catch up again and make students aware of the opportunities across the board in education.”

Flores also expressed the need for similar events to the College Transfer Fair.

“Definitely, there should be more transfer events, especially because of COVID,” Flores said. “You know students are barely starting to come back, so I think a lot of students missed out on other opportunities that generally happen in a traditional setting.”

Click here to learn more about the transfer experience and the transfer resources available at Moorpark College.