By Daijah White / Staff Writer

Missouri Valley College opened its doors to prospective students for Valley Experience Day. Students and families from all over explored Valley’s Campus and all that it has to offer. 

“The event is meant to showcase our energy, our attitude and what an experience at Missouri valley can look like,” Derek Bohnsack said. 

Valley President Dr. Joe Parisi expressed his hopes that Valley Experience would enlighten students and parents into a new realm of MVC. 

“The Valley Experience is about providing a day in the life of a Missouri valley student,” Parisi said. 

Students and their families gathered in the Malcolm center gym, where the Cheer and Dance teams brought the energy with opening performances. Parisi kicked off the event with a short Q&A that got rolling after he mentioned free Starbucks drink cards. Staff and Student Ambassadors introduced themselves before the families and their students split up.

Prospective students attended breakout sessions based on their interests or potential career paths. In the sessions the deans of different academic programs were present along with current students for any help or advice. This added to that new realm of MVC Parisi wanted attendees to experience.

Parisi said students don’t need to be sure about what they want to do, but should have an idea. And If they have an idea, Valley is here to help guide them the rest of the way.

“Our role is to help unpack that [idea] and embed them into a system that helps them explore it through experiential learning, through academic curriculum, through internships or practicum.”

Along with the hands-on experience, this event is also meant to shed light on Valleys “culture of care”. 

“I think a lot of universities and colleges say they care,” Bohnsack said. “I think students will see we really do care here today”

After the breakout sessions students and their families joined back together for lunch provided by Fresh Ideas. A tour of campus and a panel discussion about the Honors Program followed lunch and all that was left was the experience of Valley Pride. 

Prospective students and their families enjoyed the Vikings Football team pick up a home win. Men and Women’s soccer played shortly after. The Women’s team won and the men fell short.

Bohnsack and Valley Admissions checked off another Valley Experience day from their books and saw that Valley and the prospective students do benefit from the event. 

“We see anywhere from 40-60 percent enrollment,” Bohnsack said. “So 40-60 percent of the students today will commit, sign an award letter and pay their enrollment fee to go ahead and enroll in classes.”

Bohnsack expressed the next steps to get even more students enrolled and a part of the Valley family. 

“Obviously we are going to continue our fall and spring experience day, but i think for me the next step that I want to see happen is many experience days,” he said. “so maybe we move into smaller mini experience days within each major or future career path.”

 While the college plans to expand its Experience Days, the ultimate goal is to guide students toward a clearer vision of their future careers.

“Beginning with the end in mind and getting a career focus from day one is the ultimate thing that I hope they really take away at a level that they understand the opportunities that exist,” Parisi said.