PARIS —` Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School served as host Oct. 3 to some of the nation’s top schools belonging to the Small Towns and Rural Schools (STARS) College Network.

The workshop, which started at The Forum with presentations to students and families on topics like college and financial aid applications and preparing for campus life, wrapped up with recruiters representing a dozen leading universities from New England states to California on hand to discuss education programs and opportunities.

Vincent Kloskowski, director of college and career counseling and extended learning opportunities at OHCHS, coordinated the evening’s events.

Kloskowski became involved with STARS last year through one of its participating schools, Colby College in Waterville.

“We did programming with Colby on some STARS initiatives, which included professional development and outreach with faculty,” he told the Advertiser Democrat. “We held a college recommendation-writing workshop for faculty, and were part of Colby’s Polaris program, an open campus event similar to the University of Maine System’s Maine Day.”

Then last summer, Kloskowski visited some of STARS’ midwestern partner colleges. Through his networking, STARS College Network determined to add Maine to its 2024-25 rural high school tour and invited OHCHS to host.

Founded in 2023 by the Trott Family Philanthropies with a network of 16 colleges and universities, STARS doubled the number of education partners this year to 32.

“We were the only school in Maine chosen to participate in a STARS fair,” Kloskowski said. “Rural students, in higher education, have always been a group that’s been overlooked and underserved.

“Now, some of the nation’s most selective institutions have joined STARS to support rural students (to continue their education).”

Kloskowski invited other western Maine schools like Hebron, Gould, St. Dominics and Bridgton academy as well as Buckfield and Lake Region high school students and expect to expand the local participant list next year.

“I want to emphasize that at Oxford Hills we are engaging in college and career outreach,” he said. “Exposing our rural students to opportunities that at one was would not have necessarily been an option for them.

“And it’s not just college and university options, like STARS’ visit. It’s career exploration, apprenticeships and internships, and higher education, post-secondary outreach.”

On October 3, the main corridor just inside OHCHS was packed with students and parents talking and listening to college recruiters who were focused on the opportunities for rural students at their schools.

“We found it very informative,” parent Lisa McCann of West Paris said. “My husband and I had a great conversation with our son about all the colleges that were represented tonight that were not even on our radar.”

“I didn’t really give the location of the college a thought before. I’m glad they brought that up during the presentation,” added her son Steven McCann, who is a junior at OHCHS and plans to major audio engineering – music production after he graduates in 2026.

Participating schools included Caltech, Colby College, Dartmouth College, MIT, University of Notre Dame, University of Southern California and Vanderbilt University.