On December 19, a panel of 2014 LZ graduates will be available to answer any questions students might have about college.

These discussions will take place during all lunch periods. Seniors and juniors are able to go to the small auditorium to meet with returning alumni and ask questions regarding  anything to the college application process to what the first semester is actually like.

One of those returning bears is Laura Messerschmidt, 2014 graduate, who is very excited to come back to her alma mater.

“I am excited to come back and see the current seniors and what they’ve been up to,” said Messerschmidt.

In addition to being excited about coming back, Messerschmidt is also very excited to share her love of Indiana University, where she currently attends, with students who are considering applying.

“I [am] excited because I love my college and would love to answer any questions students had about IU, college life, or general college selection,” Messerschmidt said. “At the college panel, I will speak candidly. I love Indiana University, but I am willing to cover both advantages and disadvantages. I want to give students a full picture of the school, because I think it is important that students find a school that suits them.”

Finding that perfect school was an amazing experience for Messerschmidt, so when a former classmate asked her to come back and help current LZ students, she just couldn’t resist. But this time has also made Messerschmidt reflect on her high school career and she wished she had an opportunity like this last year.

“I think it would have been nice [for me to have something like this in high school],” Messerschmidt said. “A lot of the time, students get caught up in what admissions counselors say, what their parents say, and what they read in college books and through online research. These are all useful tools, but I think talking to students who just recently went through the college selection process can be particularly useful.”

Regardless of what has happened in the past, students now have this opportunity that, according to Messerschmidt, they can’t miss.

“The panel will give students a chance to ask current college freshmen about particular universities they may be interested in,” Messerschmidt said. “Students can also ask about college life and the reasons we chose the colleges we did.”