The Schauerman Library Lawn packed in a zoo of tigers, cougars, bulldogs and more alma maters representing the 51 different universities attending the Spring Transfer University Fair on Thursday, March 19, showcasing the different educational paths students can choose from.

Cosmetology major Aliyah Roos, 25, took the Transfer Fair as an opportunity to venture out and explore the person she wants to be.

“I’ve been living with my family for my entire life,” she said. “It’s time for me to figure out who I want to be, who I’m becoming, and I want to see if I can strike out on my own and just gain a sense of independence.”

Historical Black Colleges and Universities transfer representative Briana Levi works for California Community Colleges. She covers all 160 community colleges in the state of California. She is partnered with 40 HBCUs in particular that provide guaranteed admissions for select students looking to enroll.

“After [students] transfer, they get paired with a student success coach from our team to help them from that second gate to graduation, so we support students from start to finish,” Levi said.

One of the ways HBCUs support their students is with the California HBCU grant, which offers up to $5,000 for students who have completed a transfer associate degree, Levi said.

Roos is interested in out-of-state HBCUs, and she is looking for a school that has an environment that empowers women of color.

“I was hyper-focusing on Black colleges because I want to be amongst my people, that’s very important to me, and it just will be nice to be surrounded by Black excellence,” Roos said.

Music and English major Destiny Brown, 21, was looking to transfer to Stanford University, but found interest in another out-of-town college while at the Fair.

“The University of Redlands offers a pretty decent music program and Master’s program in music, and I wanted to go farther away to try to live on my own,” Brown said.

California State University, San Marcos works with international and domestic students who have foreign transcripts from those who have studied abroad, International Administrative Advisor Jenny Cardinal said.

ECC transfer coordinator Rene Lozano usually sets up the event each semester, but could not attend due to being out of town, staff said. Instead, Lozano passed the reins to Transfer Center advisor Paitzar Giourdjian, who hosted the Transfer Fair this spring.

For over 30 years, the Transfer University Fair has been a resource for students, helping them think about their future.

“I think the biggest thing that you can have is options to choose from,” Giourdjian said, “A lot can happen in our lives, a lot can happen a year or two from now.”