Transition Fair at Carter High Helps Prepare Students and Families for Life After High School

“The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Transition Fair provides Exceptional Children’s students and families with a great opportunity to learn about resources for independent living, post-secondary education and training opportunities, and career options that will help them to prepare to move from high school to life after high school, said school counselor Daya Patton.

The idea for the Transition Fair came to Patton after going to the district college fair with her own daughter.

“I felt like there needed to be the same type of event for EC students so they and their parents would know about the postsecondary options available to them” Patton said.

The second annual WS/FCS Transition Fair took place on April 7 at Carter High School. This year the Transition Fair had local and regional organizations, post-secondary programs, and colleges that support individuals with special needs.

More than 300 attended.  

Here’s what some of them had to say:

“The Transition Fair was very beneficial and had a lot of information and resources for parents of students who have disabilities,” said Sheila Roundtree, a Carter High parent.

“The fair had a diverse representation of agencies and providers we are so glad that we had the opportunity to participate,” said Eric Mashburn of Beyond Academics at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

“We get to have students until they are 22 or until they are ready for their adult lives,” said Donna Horton-Berry, the Carter High principal. “The last gift that we get to give them is preparation for the next 50 years. The transition fair is a wonderful opportunity for us to provide information for families to make sure the preparations are in place.”