FARMINGTON – Hundreds of high school students were encouraged Tuesday to make college a priority. They were also told not to let lack of money prevent them from pursuing higher education and to find a mentor to help guide them.

Students from high schools in Farmington, Jay, Livermore Falls, Madison, Rangeley and Salem Township attended the Western Maine Career Fair held at the University of Maine Farmington.

University of Maine at Augusta President Charles Lyons spoke to the students in a crowded dining hall before the students broke into smaller groups to hear from 40 presenters on careers students were interested in.

Lyons told students that anything was possible for them if they wanted it badly enough.

“Make college a priority for you,” Lyons said.

UMA awarded 800 degrees last year, he said, and the average age of the graduate wasn’t 22 – it was 35.

Those who get a college education, Lyons said, make $1 million more over a lifetime than someone who only graduated from high school.

Those who further their education will get richer and those who don’t will get substantially poorer, Lyons said.

Paper companies and computer companies, along with other businesses, use modern technology to produce their products.

Fairchild Semiconductor has about 900 employees in South Portland, Lyons said, and the average salary is $52,000 a year.

“But you can’t get in there without a degree,” he said.

Lyons told students not to let money block them from going to college.

Regardless of how poor people think they are, they can get money for college, Lyons said. There are a number of ways to finance college including financial aid, grants and student loans.

Lyons also urged students to find someone to advise them, such as a coach, guidance counselor or a teacher.

“I urge you today to seek out a mentor,” he said. “Get someone to take you under their wings. … You need someone to take you under their wings to let the real you blossom.”

And once students achieve some success, Lyons said, they should give something back to the community.

Lyons said he grew up picking beans in Madison for 2 cents a pound, and he made something of himself and now makes a good living in Maine.

College education was an opportunity for him, he said, but for today’s students, a college education is a necessity.

He urged students to make it happen – not for their parents, not for their teachers, but for their own sakes.