CHARLOTTE, Mich — When you think of fairs, you think of rides and cotton candy, but this year's Eaton County Fair is playing an important role in children's futures.
- Teens at the Eaton County Fair are raising and selling animals to save money for college.
- The average cost of in-state tuition at Michigan colleges is $14,718 per year.
- Watch the full story down below
WATCH: Eaton County Fair helps local teens save for college through animal raising program
The program helps students like 15-year-old Olivet native Aly Priesman combine her passion for animals with planning for her academic future.
"It's so fun working with animals, you can connect with them and become your friend," Priesman said.
Priesman is thinking about college and wants to win competitions. She's now combining these goals at the Eaton County Fair.
"It's really good, because I use my money for college, you really get a head start, and you learn responsibility," Aly Priesman said.
At the Eaton County Fair, Priesman participates in a program where children and teens sell animals they raised to help them save money for college. According to the Michigan Education Savings Program, the average cost of public in-state tuition at a Michigan college is $14,718 per year.
"This has been a tradition at the Eaton County fair for a number of years, where young people with a breeding show, breed animals or purchase, and the youth will breed them," Eaton County Fair organizer Jill Cords said.
Priesman hopes to raise a couple of hundred dollars this week. While it won't cover all her college expenses, it's a start. She tells me every penny will make a difference.
"Really fun, everybody pretty much comes together, we all help each other out, just a whole community here at the fair," Aly Priesman said.
The county fair runs through Saturday at the fairgrounds in Charlotte.
