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Fresh Ideas Take Root in West Jackson’s Garden Project
First-grade students at West Jackson Elementary School are using vegetables from their school garden for nutritious meals with the help of a $1,170 grant from HireSmart Cares to fund the creation of a mobile kitchen cart. The grant enables teacher Stephanie Westhafer to build "The Sprout & Spoon Cart," a portable cooking station that allows…
FCCLA Grant Opens Doors for Every Commerce High Student
When Lynn Booth arrived at Commerce High School last year, she saw untapped potential. As the new Nutrition and Food Science instructor, she was excited to guide students through the school’s three-course pathway — Food Nutrition and Wellness, Food For Life, and Food Science — which ranges from basic kitchen principles to studying food at…
From Grief to Grit: How One Teen Is Paving His Own Way
At 13, Eric Uriotegui-Mendoza learned the most important lesson of his life in a very painful way. When his 38-year-old mother lost her battle with stage 4 cancer, Eric discovered that "you gotta be prepared" for anything life might bring. That hard-earned wisdom drove the recent Madison County High School graduate to start building his…
From Classroom to Construction Crew: Sam’s Story
Samuel Cuzman's former high school construction teacher, Jake Slusher, describes him as "a quiet guy who just did his work — a teacher's dream." Now, Sam has turned that steady, no-nonsense approach into a career in heavy equipment operation with ER Snell Contractor, Inc. The recent graduate of Empower College and Career Academy in Jackson…
Collier Uesseler Proves Technology Careers Don’t Require College Debt
While many of his classmates are just starting their freshman year of college, Collier Uesseler is already climbing the corporate ladder at Toyota. He has no student loans, no lecture halls, and no uncertainty about whether his degree will actually land him a job. The recent graduate of Empower College and Career Academy in Jackson…
From Simulator to a Real Job: Cameron Cruse’s Journey from Classroom to Career
Cameron Cruse doesn't need to imagine what his future career looks like — he's already living it. While many fellow high school seniors were filling out college applications and worrying about student loans, Cameron was learning to operate heavy machinery and earning a steady paycheck straight out of graduation. The recent high school graduate has…
HireSmart Invests in Future Healthcare Workers at Jefferson High
Laura Wilburn brings real-world nursing experience to her healthcare science classroom at Jefferson High School, where she's teaching the next generation of medical professionals. Now, thanks to HireSmart Cares, her students will have new tools to prepare for healthcare careers. A HireSmart $6,397 workforce development grant provides essential training equipment for the JHS healthcare science…