At their annual college and career fair held in the gym Thursday at Polk County Middle School, eighth graders visited with college recruiters and a variety of businesses and occupational sectors. Eric Freeman, a marine climatologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is shown explaining many types of occupations and fields of study within the 10,000-employee organization to Logan Smith, Karla Olguin, Alyssa Nelson and Alyssa Arledge. (Photo by Claire Sachse)