Admissions | Arts and Sciences | Business and Industry | Events | Featured | Health Education and Human Sciences | NewsApril 12, 2024

UAFS Spring Den Day, Largest in a Decade

Written By: Ian Silvester

More than 500 students from across the region registered to attend the spring Den Day at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith, the largest turnout in nearly a decade.

The full day of activities began in the Stubblefield Center with a welcome message from the new Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management, Brooke Magallanes, before students and their families embarked on campus tours. After visiting majors, meeting professors, touring campus housing, and learning about campus activities and registered student organizations, Den Day guests were treated to lunch before heading to Crowder Field to watch the Lions play Cameron University in the first game of a four-game weekend series.

Magallanes, an alum of UAFS, recalled her Den Day experience and what it meant to host her first since returning to campus.

“UAFS was such a welcoming campus, and the feeling I got from being on campus influenced me to come to UAFS as a student,” she said. “I hope that (students) leave campus full of that Lion pride.”

Den Day not only allows prospective students a chance to see themselves at UAFS but also provides an opportunity for students and parents to explore different options when deciding where to go after high school.

Noah Granderson, a student at Siloam Springs High School and Arkansas Virtual Academy, said he likes the flexibility of classes at UAFS. Being enrolled in a virtual program, he has gotten used to a hybrid schedule and appreciates that he has the potential to do the same at UAFS.

“It’s definitely a benefit,” Granderson said.

But what sets UAFS apart for Granderson, compared to other schools, is the accessibility Den Day presents.

“Communication with the staff here than say some of the other larger schools has been easier. I’m getting more answers to my questions,” he explained.

Den Day isn’t just for high school seniors. Juniors are also welcome, which was a plus for Carrie Dean, who attended the event from Clarksville, Arkansas, with her daughter and five friends.

“Making that decision earlier, rather than later in high school, makes it imperative that they know where they are going so they know what goals to set and achieve,” Dean said.

For Booneville High School student Clayton Wingfield and his mom, Bridgette O’Kelley, Den Day also meant finding a home and place to fit in after high school.

“Finding that connection and glow in his eyes to know this is where he wants to go,” O’Kelley said of her most significant takeaway from the day. “Everyone did a great job of making me already feel like this is home,” Wingfield shared.

Impressed by the turnout, Magallanes expressed her excitement for what the fall Den Day might bring.

“We have a good grasp of who we are and what we can offer as a university,” she said. “Students can expect to see the campus on a tour; they will visit housing to see where they will live; they will meet all the faculty they will learn from and leave knowing what major they will study in. It’s all about making students confident in their next step.”

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• Enrollment
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• Den Day