A college fair in Chicago gave two Central Illinois high school seniors an idea: bring that kind of face-to-face opportunity closer to home. On Oct. 1, their idea became the first Central Illinois HBCU Showcase at University High School in Normal. About 270 students came to meet representatives from more than 15 historically Black colleges and universities.
Nina Harden and Chayil Beasley, both local seniors, helped lead the effort. Harden told 25News Now that after attending a fair in Chicago, she realized some of her peers did not have the time or resources to travel for the same experience. Rather than leave the opportunity at a distance, the students worked to bring representatives to their region.
University High’s event calendar scheduled the showcase for 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. At the school, students could speak directly with college representatives and learn about schools they might not otherwise have encountered. The event was built around access through proximity: a local gathering where students could ask questions in person without traveling to a fair in Chicago.
The two television reports describe different parts of the planning and the day itself. 25News Now reported that organizers included campus traditions such as roll calls alongside the representatives, giving students a sense of the schools’ communities as well as information about them. WMBD’s report described networking and workshops intended to help students prepare for life after high school. Students could get information about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as FAFSA, and the Black Common App.
For Harden, bringing the showcase to Normal was also a way to reduce the distance between students and the colleges. She told 25News Now that traveling to a campus fair can mean paying for transportation and, for some families, a hotel. A regional event cannot replace a campus visit or guarantee admission or financial aid, but it can make an initial conversation easier to reach. Organizers framed the gathering as a place to hear directly from representatives and learn about options before making decisions.
University High principal Andrea Markert told WMBD that holding the showcase in the Twin Cities gave students a shorter drive to opportunities available farther north. Dr. Carla Campbell-Jackson, a founder of the Mentoring and Providing Scholarships program, described the college connections as an early step toward helping students explore their options. Those are the organizers’ and school leaders’ aims; the reports do not track how many attendees later applied, enrolled or received scholarships.
The event drew support from the Mentoring and Providing Scholarships program, 100 Black Men of Central Illinois and local Pan-Hellenic chapters, according to 25News Now. What began as an idea shared among students grew into a regional effort involving educators and community organizations. The reports credit Harden and Beasley with student leadership, while describing adults and partner groups as part of the support around them.
Putting more than 15 schools in one location also let students encounter options beyond the institutions they already knew. The reports do not identify each participating college or measure how many conversations led to an application. They document a single-night introduction, not a change in enrollment outcomes. The confirmed achievement is that student organizers created a regional opportunity and brought students together with college representatives; what attendees decide afterward remains their own next step.
Harden told 25News Now she hoped students would see HBCUs as attainable and learn about their history and culture. Beasley spoke about the value of students gathering with people who share experiences and interests. Their comments point to two related parts of the showcase: practical access to information and the sense of community that students may be looking for as they consider where to study.
Organizers said after the turnout that they hoped to make the showcase an annual regional event. That plan remains a goal rather than a confirmed future date. The first gathering, however, already created a local meeting place for students, colleges and community partners. It began with two seniors noticing a gap in access and asking what might happen if the opportunity came to them instead.
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