Visiting Southern Maine Community College’s Midcoast Campus earlier this month was an eye-opener for Nataleigh Ormsby.

She was impressed by our facilities, the wide selection of courses we offer and our residential hall, in addition to the affordability that allows students to earn a college education at a fraction of the cost of other institutions. She now expects to attend SMCC after she graduates from Mount Ararat High School next spring.

Nataleigh, who lives in Harpswell, was among the 180 Mount Ararat students who toured our campus and met with faculty and staff on October 11 as part of their senior class symposium. This is the sixth straight year that Mount Ararat’s senior class has visited us.

“I like this campus a lot; it’s pretty cool,” Natalie said while eating pizza with classmates following the tour. “A lot of students are looking at other schools and don’t understand all the options that are open to them. It’s a lot more affordable here, and they can get the same education.”

High school students are usually impressed with our Midcoast Campus the first time they visit.

The campus offers a comprehensive full-college experience, with a student-centered Learning Commons that has tech-infused learning space, a library, advising offices, a café, and modern laboratories and classrooms for our Nursing and Health Sciences students. Our residence hall has spacious living suites once used by bachelor officers when Brunswick Naval Air Station was operational. The Learning Commons and the residence hall, both of which opened two years ago, are in addition to our Maine Advanced Technology and Engineering Center and our modern academic building.

Hunter Boyce, of Harpswell, was sold on SMCC when he visited as a senior at Mount Ararat, where he graduated in 2015. He will graduate from SMCC in December with a degree in Liberal Studies with a focus on Social Work.

When he first toured our campus in high school, he was thinking of college but didn’t know where to turn. He now says that visit “made the decision for me.”

After he graduates from SMCC, Hunter will continue his education and earn a bachelor’s degree in social work with plans to become a cognitive behavioral therapist working with children.

“I’ve learned a lot here,” he said while taking a break during a Human Services class. “It can definitely be better to come to community college than a university. I’ve seen a lot of people go to a big university and end up here the next year.”

You don’t have to be a graduating senior at Mount Ararat High School to pay us a visit. Prospective students can always stop by for a tour.

You can also sign up for our Midcoast Campus Fall Open House (https://www.smccme.edu/open-house/) on Thursday, Nov. 9, from 4-6 p.m. You’ll be able to tour our campus, explore our academic programs, meet faculty and staff, and learn about admissions, financial aid, student life and more.

After experiencing our campus first-hand, there’s a good chance you’ll come to the same conclusion Hunter Boyce did.

“For me personally,” Hunter said, “I decided this was the right place to be.”

Ron Cantor is the president of Southern Maine Community College.