Hailee McKay and her friends already know they want to attend Brock University. On Wednesday, they visited their first post-secondary choice as part of the Niagara Student Summit, organized by the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Committee of Niagara Falls.

“I plan on coming here,” McKay said. “This school has a good reputation.”

Her friends Jordan Sammutt and Rachel Gillespie agreed, noting they love the campus and have visited before to attend youth camps and sporting events.

“I want to learn more about Brock and not leave it until Grade 12,” Gillespie said.

For Sammutt, the most impressive thing about Brock is all of the international students.

“There are so many people from around the world coming here,” she said.

Thorold Secondary School Grade 10 students Jordan Sammutt, left, Hailee McKay and Rachel Gillespie attended the Niagara Student Summit held at Brock Oct. 14.

The trio – Grade 10 students at Thorold Secondary School – was part of a group of about 360 high school students from around Niagara who attended the summit, aimed at opening their eyes to post secondary options, self reflection and leadership opportunities.

“They are learning about themselves and exploring opportunities after high school,” said Beth Angle, community development co-ordinator with the City of Niagara Falls.

The day featured a keynote address from Matt Tod, an international leadership facilitator, and sessions on everything from opportunities after high school and education funding to resume advice and responding to an emergency.

It’s a huge number of students who want to find out what Brock has to offer.

Angle said one of the most popular sessions was Explore Brock, which offered the students a tour and talk about the university.

“It’s a huge number of students who want to find out what Brock has to offer,” she said.

Recruitment Services Manager Melissa Beamer said hosting the event gave Brock a great opportunity to showcase itself to prospective students.

“Reaching some of the younger students early may make them more amenable to coming here,” she said. “It could be a game changer.”

Beamer said the University is always looking for ways to reach local students, including high school visits throughout the fall.

“We need to be the first choice for Niagara students,” she said.

Niagara Falls mayor Jim Diodati addressed the students and urged them to look at the opportunities close to home.

“One of the problems here in the region is that we’re losing our youth,” he said. “They are looking for greener pastures but there aren’t greener pastures.”

He pointed to Brock being a destination for students from around the globe.

“They line up to come to Brock,” Diodati told the students.

Brian Hutchings, Vice-President of Finance and Administration, said Brock’s student body continues to grow, from about 10,000 in 1999 to over 18,800 today.

“We’re big enough that you’re going to get your full experience but small enough that you don’t get lost,” he said.

Hutchings, who played professional football for seven years, told the students that life takes many interesting twists and turns and he’s proof of that.

He urged them to look to the future with optimism, regardless of where they choose to go to school.

Diodati echoed that sentiment, telling the students to “decide what it is you love, what makes you jump out of bed in the morning.”