Wiregrass Times

High school seniors from across Alabama, Georgia, Florida and as far as Arizona visited the Troy Campus Wednesday as part of the bi-annual Worldwide Open House event. To give as many students as possible the opportunity to apply, the event has been extended for today only.

Held virtually from Oct. 26-29 and in-person on the Troy Campus for one day only, prospective students had the opportunity to gain unique access to faculty experts, information about academic programs, scholarships, federal financial aid, transferring credits, choosing a career and much more.

The event is divided into three sections: in-person on the Troy Campus for students interested in attending in-person in Troy, Ala.; virtually for non-traditional for  and students from other TROY campuses; and virtually for international students.

In addition to the virtual events, a series of live sessions were held online, including: International Admissions, Financial Aid, Non-traditional Admissions and Traditional Admissions.

“Open House is an event our admissions team looks forward to each semester! While we welcome visitors on weekdays at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Open House is different,” said Korrie Lynn Williamson, Senior Director of Enrollment Services. “Open House allows us to share detailed information and steps for potential students to become a Trojan. Our office doors are always open, but having so many students on campus looking at their, hopeful, future home heightens our Trojan pride during times like this.”

After an in-depth admissions presentation, students and their families were taken on a tour of the Troy Campus featuring the newly-constructed, student-only recreation center, the dining hall, Trojan Center, academic buildings, dorms and more.

Kirah Lawson, a senior from Hartford, Alabama, found out her application was accepted on the drive in.

“I just found out I was admitted on the way over, so I’m here to check out the college and get a feel for where I’ll be going to school,” she said. “My cousin went here and my aunt said it’s a really good school, and I’ve also heard from a lot of other people how good of a school TROY is, so I wanted to check it out and see for myself. So far I think I’ve made the right decision.”

Though familiar with the campus from participating in the Honor Band competition this semester, Lawson said she was excited to take an official tour.

“I haven’t officially toured yet, so I’m looking forward to seeing the dorms and the music hall,” she said. “Initially I wanted to study pre-biology, but now I’m going to study music education.”

A Trojan Ambassador leads a tour group to view Rushing Hall during Worldwide Open House held on Wednesday, Oct. 26 on the Troy Campus.

Chase Dawson, a high school graduate from Chandler, Arizona, became familiar with TROY after spending breaks with his grandparents in Prattville, Alabama. He and his grandfather, Larry Puckett, attended the morning tour, and Dawson said he was most impressed with the people and the student recreation center.

“I’ve driven through Troy a lot, and I love the campus and how pretty it is, so I’m really excited to be here,” he said. “I was really surprised at how welcoming the people were. All the professors we met, students in the dorms, the tour guides, they were all amazing people and very nice. I’m super excited about the rec center. I love exercise and playing basketball, and that’s the nicest place I’ve ever been in.”

Interested in business and marketing, along with potentially communication and sports management, Dawson had his departmental visit with Dr. Charla Brown to learn more about the business courses and choosing a specialty.

“Dr. Brown was very nice. She explained what the core classes are for business and how after you finish those, you can branch off into other areas you might be interested in, like marketing or entrepreneurship or management,” he said. “it’s a very cool program.”

Despite being far from home, Dawson said he’s excited for the opportunities waiting for him at TROY.

“I’m going to miss my parents and my four siblings, and it’ll definitely be an adjustment, but I’m looking forward to it. It’s my opportunity to grow,” he said. “I’m thankful to be here and for my grandfather for setting this up for me.”

For Puckett, he’s just happy for his grandson to be nearby on a more consistent basis while still gaining the full college experience and the sense of independence that comes with it.

“He’s close enough we can be here in an hour, but he’s still got enough room to spread his wings and learn to fly,” he said. 

Students who missed Open House have one more opportunity today only to join in on the fun! Admissions staff from all TROY locations will be online to answer questions and help potential students start achieving their goals.

Virtual sessions are available all day for Troy Campus students, non-traditional students and international students at troy.edu/openhouse.

Application fee waivers are available for today only.

Original source can be found here.