With graduation, college applications and career choices on the horizon for the 10th grade students of Butler County, it is important that all avenues be explored.

Built in Butler County, an event sponsored by the Butler County Commission for Economic Development, was held at the fairgrounds Thursday and offered area students the chance to talk to different industries about what could potentially lie ahead in their futures.

The event showcases businesses within the county that are successful and prospering in hopes that students will understand that their hometown can offer the same kind of jobs that larger towns do.

Businesses such as Coastal Forest, Hyundai Steel, L.V. Stabler Memorial Hospital, to name a few, set up booths with informational packets ready to hand out to interested students.

Caitlin Edgar, a sophomore at Fort Dale Academy, enjoyed having the opportunity to see the many different career options available to the students of Butler County, many of which she didn’t even know existed before that day.

“It’s important to go to these because they help us learn how to make Greenville better, how to have more founders and keep it going,” she said.

Beth Tolbert, supervisor of the Greenville chapter of Alabama Career Center Systems, has worked events like these many times and enjoys educating students on employment opportunities. She believes that events like these give students a realistic look at jobs that can be attained with or without a college degree, since more and more students are now going directly into career fields after graduation.

“We’re trying to inform the 10th grade students of the services we offer at the Career Center,” said Tolbert.

Tolbert says that many times, people do not fully understand all of the services offered by the Career Center; many times other employers are not even aware of services their fellow businesses can offer.

“This is why this is so great, it gets (information) out there to them,” said Tolbert.

By taking time to talk to each vendor, Edgar has been able to further solidify her goals of becoming a registered nurse (R.N.). Edgar believes that fairs and events like this are very beneficial to students her age because they give students realistic expectations of what is vocationally offered in Butler County.

“It helps us see what all opportunities Greenville has for us, as far as jobs,” said Edgar.  “I know that I have to keep practicing to prepare for the field I’m going into.”