Friday’s college and career fair hosted at George Rogers Clark High School drew 26 local, regional and state businesses and 28 colleges, universities and schools.

The fair allowed students grades 8 through 12 to meet with representatives from companies, government agencies and higher education institutions to help them decide on what path they’d like to take upon graduation.

Eighth-grade students, freshmen and sophomores were also able to see a presentation from the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA) in the school’s auditorium to learn about how to begin planning for higher education and how to pay for it.

According to Community Education Executive Director Cora Heffner, the event drew several new businesses, including DoubleStar, Carhartt and Rainmaker Hospitality. The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services also attended for the first time, she said.

“We believe the students had a great opportunity to learn about careers in our area,” Heffner said.

For the first time this year, GRC juniors and seniors were able to fill out a form asking questions about the businesses for extra credit.