On Thursday, Feb. 5, Wando’s Culturally Unmatched Resilient Legacy Students (CURLS) club hosted the annual Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Fair in Wando’s Performing Arts Center. The event gave students an insight into colleges and showed them requirements and opportunities. Not only Wando students, but also students from schools in the area attended.
Wando’s CURLS club organizes events, fundraisers and creates a great community at the school. Ari Laurient, who is part of the club, shares his experience.
“I love CURLS club because it is a very inclusive environment where you’re able to do a lot of community service opportunities, and we get to do a lot of special things with the community and give back, and … portray a legacy of Black excellence,” Laurient said.
CURLS Vice President Meadow Miller helped organize the event.
“CURLS … organizes the event. So, like, for example, we’ll go on the stage and we’ll introduce the college and … we’ll interview the people that come from the colleges to, like, learn … more about them and … what they do there,” Miller said.
Since the event is student-led, CURLS members lead students from other schools to where they should go, and have control over the event.
“When it’s students, like leading people and helping people, it makes… them feel more welcome[d] rather than like an adult or administrator… being like, ‘okay, you go sit here, you do this, and you listen to this,’” Miller said.
The event was very exciting for Miller, since it is her second time attending. Last year, she was the club’s secretary, and is now in the higher position of vice president.
“[Being] in a higher position, like, you get to do more things and … teach people more about different things. But I was just mainly excited because … a couple of … the schools that I was interested in, like applying for college, were there. So I got to learn more about … the scholarship programs and … the requirements that it takes to get into college. And then, also, it’s just a good time, like, [seeing] everybody like be happy and … we do really crowd participation where … people get to … dance and … sing and stuff … it just really … feels like a family,” Miller said.
The event is exciting for everyone, and gives all attendees a chance to get more information about colleges while still being able to enjoy a fun environment.
“I like the event because we were able to just showcase a lot of … HBCU culture and a lot of different types of aspects of why … HBCUs are good and inclusive and just a great environment for students,” Laurient said.
