South Dakota State University held its annual Junior Day event last Saturday, welcoming hundreds of high school juniors and their families to campus to explore what the university has to offer.

One of the school’s largest visit programs, Junior Day, is designed to introduce high school juniors to the college search process. Saturday’s event offered information about SDSU’s academic opportunities, campus life and tips on navigating college options.

“Junior Day is one of our largest visit programs that we do here at SDSU,” Shawn Helmbolt, assistant vice president for enrollment management said. “It serves as a visit program that can introduce them to SDSU, but can also just introduce them to the college search process in general.”

As a land-grant institution, SDSU aims to be a healthy and growing university by connecting prospective students with its community and resources. Junior day supports this mission by providing access to education, helping families explore opportunities and offering support early in their college journey.

“We’re a land-grant institution, so our focus is access to education,” said Erica Quam, professional adviser in the school of Communication and Journalism. “People can come, see what’s available, ask questions and feel like they’re gonna get supported already, like early on before they even start here.”

Attendees for Junior Day are provided with a full day of interactive exploration through general informational sessions, campus tours, an academic program fair and direct opportunity to engage with faculty and current students.

Junior Day showcases experiences unique to SDSU, the thrill and resources of a large university combined with the ability to tailor education to specific interests and career aspirations.

“I feel like SDSU has the big opportunities and excitement where you want it, but it has the small, intimate, personalized details where you want them too,” Quam said. “It’s almost like the best of both worlds.”

Another key aspect of Junior Day is providing a supportive and welcoming atmosphere to ease apprehension that often comes with the college search. By engaging with faculty and current students, attendees gained insights into college life.

Ava Couser, a prospective student, said she valued being able to see herself in the position of attending school here, instead of just visiting campus for fun.

To measure the success of Junior Day, Helmbolt said that each student who attends is surveyed and asked for their feedback. Additionally, school officials follow all attendees to see who applies as a senior and who will eventually enroll at SDSU.

Events like Junior Day are rewarding for attendees and the SDSU community. While prospective students leave feeling more prepared for their future, faculty and current students feel a sense of pride about being a part of that journey.

“It’s very rewarding to have even just a small part of that journey,” Quam said. “I see their eyes light up when we say we have this, or that… It’s fun to be able to share that we can help them make all those dreams come true.”