The 2002 University of Wisconsin Career Expo kicked off last night as more than 65 companies visited UW in hopes of luring undergraduates.

“It’s been great. We’ve had a lot of people stop by, and we’ve had a lot of interest,” said Mary Jo Harris, the expo representative for Per Mar Security. “I find out if [students] like to go to Badger games, since we work every Badger game — football, basketball, hockey, everything.”

Representatives from nearly every booth were attending to lines of students three to four deep and, in the case of the Peace Corps, sometimes 10 deep.

Target had a barrage of booths with information on everything from their primary store to the recently acquired Marshall Fields’.

“We prefer people who aren’t single,” said Christy Williamson, Peace Corps representative. “When you graduate college, you’re at a point in your life when you are free, and you might never be like that again, so take advantage of it.”

Williamson said it’s never too early to start readying yourself for the Corps.

“Start thinking if you have leadership skills,” Williamson said. “You have to do some research into the things you won’t like. You teach 20 hours a week, and the rest of the time, you do what interests you. In turn, you become a part of the community you work in.”

The Peace Corps is a two-year program. People are matched by their skill with a particular country’s needs. When volunteers return to the United States, they are allotted $6000 to get back on their feet.

The companies attending the expo ranged from the National Security Agency to the Appleton Police Department. The career expo is the first in a series of events coming to UW this fall. Also coming to UW are Mock Interview Day Sept. 26, the Graduate School Recruiting Fair Oct. 15, and the Fall Internship Fair Oct. 24.