The turnout was high and the crowd was enthusiastic at the first of two spring open houses hosted by the College on Saturday, April 13. The crisp and sunny spring day helped encourage nearly 200 prospective students, accompanied by family and friends, to gather in the hangar to learn about the College.

The attendees began the day hearing about the programs offered at Vaughn and were then treated to tours of the campus, program demonstrations and raffles.

Students from the tri-state area, as well as those from Massachusetts, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and as far away as Illinois, were in attendance. Interests from prospective students ranged from the engineering to the aviation field and included avionics, aircraft maintenance and pilot training.

The Niemann family drove three hours to the event from Cape May, NJ so their son Eddie could see Vaughn in person and learn about its offerings.  “We were interested in colleges with aeronautical degrees and found Vaughn online.  We are really excited to be here today and learn more about the College and its programs and take a tour of the residence hall,” said Kathleen Niemann, Eddie’s mother.

Saturday’s event began with a welcome from Vice President of Enrollment Services Ernie Shepelsky who was proud to note that even though Vaughn is a private institution, it has one of the lowest tuition rates for private college in the northeast and a consistently high population of graduates – over 90 percent – who are employed or continue their education within one year.

Next, Senior Vice President Dr. Sharon DeVivo reviewed what was in store for the audience throughout the day, including a series of academic information sessions followed by several “Ultimate Open House Experiences” designed to highlight student possibilities.

Admissions, financial aid and career services representatives fielded questions while the award-winning robotics club provided demonstrations. Students from the athletic team and campus clubs were also on hand to showcase the Vaughn College experience to interested students.

Raymond Rock from Brooklyn, N.Y. hopes to come to Vaughn in the fall and study flight operations. After spending time in the simulator lab, he said the experience was fun and he didn’t find it very difficult. “I think I have a feel for it, which is good, because this is what I want to study.”

Many Vaughn alumni were also on hand today to talk about their experiences post-graduation and how Vaughn had prepared them for employment in the real world. Jad Craig, who started in the flight program but ended up in air traffic control, remarked on the positives of attending a smaller sized institution. “You’re not a number at Vaughn, and the professors you have really go the extra mile to help you succeed. They come from the field so they know what is needed to help you secure gainful employment in the future.”

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VAUGHN COLLEGE SPRING 2013 OPEN HOUSE: From top, Dr. Sharon DeVivo speaks to open house crowd in the hangar; Professor Thomas Broschart talks to students about the aviation training institute and the engineering and technology faculty speak to a crowded room about degree offerings.