Scores of potential students and parents meet with UO officials

Ryleigh Mitrione of Hebron High School made a new friend at a reception for Dallas area students.With the eyes of the nation focused on Dallas and the first-ever College Football Playoff championship, university officials are capitalizing on the moment to capture the interest of the next generation of University of Oregon students.

While thousands of fans flooded Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center for national championship fan fest activities, UO leaders and staff spent their time talking with dozens of prospective students talking about how the university can help them reach their potential.

Interim President Scott Coltrane spoke at the event after spending one-on-one time with high school students and their parents talking about the UO’s academic programs. Several other UO leaders and deans shared the duty of helping students from across Texas decide if the UO is right for them.

Targeting his remarks at parents, Roger Thompson, vice president for enrollment management, noted that, “All of us, we know that the most important thing in your world is standing next to you.

“We will not disappoint you. They’ll leave (the UO) prepared to face whatever the 21st century has to offer.”

The event wrapped with the raffling off of this weekend’s most sought-after prize: tickets to Monday’s College Football Playoff National Championship. Mark Anthony Stanley of Fort Worth and Mackenzie MacDonald of Frisco, Texas, will be at AT&T Stadium courtesy of enrollment management.

By Tobin J. Klinger, Public Affairs Communications