SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio — On Wednesday, more than 500 Notre Dame College students attended a student fair to learn more about schools that have partnered with NDC due to its closure.
"We're an institution that's focused on the mission," said Notre Dame College Interim President John Smetanka. "The mission is the students."
Earlier this year Notre Dame College announced it would close at the end of this semester.
At the time, NDC partnered with nine schools to allow students to transfer efficiently. However, 18 schools attended Wednesday's fair.
"We were very selective to bring in programs, schools that rounded out our coverage of programs," Smetanka said. "We brought in some schools that had strong online presence. We brought in some schools from some geographical areas that we didn't have covered."
Students told 3News that Notre Dame College had become a second home.
"I love this college," sophomore Gudy Salem-Dawod said.
Salem-Dawod is an international student who has spent two years at Notre Dame College. She attended the fair after learning that two schools had medical laboratory degrees, which is what she's studying.
"I was actually feeling kind of lost," said Salem-Dawod.
Educators from Ohio, Michigan, West Virginia and Maryland packed Keller Gymnasium to welcome the Notre Dame College students.
"Every one of the students, regardless of what university they visited around the fair today, saw that there's a path forward for every one of these students," said Dan Karp, assistant vice president of university relations at Baldwin Wallace University.
Karp told 3News that roughly 200 students visited the Baldwin Wallace booth on Wednesday.
Most of the students from Notre Dame College will automatically be accepted into these partner schools. However, for students like Salem-Dawod, the right home has to fit her vision.
"I discovered some other colleges have my major so that helped me so much," said Salem-Dawod. "Two options only is like, I need more options."
3News asked Interim President Smetanka if there's anything that could change the outcome that NDC will close.
"I think it's highly unlikely to impossible for anything to change the circumstances that we're in," said Smetanka.
Notre Dame College will hold a fair for faculty and staff on March 25 to help them find a new home.
Smetanka told 3News that most of the schools who were in attendance on Wednesday will be there for the faculty and staff.
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