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Boots Recipient is Building a Future Close to Home
Quinton Bratcher spent enough summers in a ditch to appreciate the view from a bucket truck. "There's a whole lot more wind coming by you in that bucket than there is in the ditch," said the 2026 Madison County High School graduate. Quinton went from a cap and gown to a paying job with no gap in between.…
Getting His Hands Dirty Pays Off
Zach Hanson is the kind of person who doesn't just tolerate getting his hands dirty. He likes it. That turns out to be exactly the right disposition for a plumber. "I don't mind working late or getting my hands dirty. I just kind of like that kind of thing," he said. That attitude has served him well. Zach graduated…
Building a Career Without the College Debt
Owen Wilbanks has a goal: by the time his friends finish college, he wants to own a house. He's eighteen, he just graduated from Empower College and Career Center, and he's already doing the math. Owen recently joined Southern Geotechnical Consultants as a field technician, and he enjoys the variety of job sites, traveling to test concrete for a commercial warehouse pour, or…
HireSmart Grants Help FCCLA Students at State Event
Ladd Soseby walked into the room alone. The “Chapter in Review Display” event at the regional FCCLA competition was designed as a two-person presentation. His partner wasn't available. So, Ladd stood in front of the judges and delivered the whole thing himself. He still placed in the top two of the region and advanced to state. Then he went home, revamped the entire project, and finished fourth…
Drone Program Builds More Than Technical Skills at Clarke Central
Cadet Alicia Arellano came into the Clarke Central drone program hesitant to speak up in class. Months later she was part of a team, teaching drone safety and piloting fundamentals to 180 of her fellow cadets. Cadet Ezra Long came in to learn how to fly and ended up learning how to fix what breaks, a skill he…
Life Skills, Not Lectures: Inside a Different Kind of School Day in Commerce
Every spring, Commerce High School's entire senior class spends a day learning to change tires, write checks, cook, budget, and sit through a proper etiquette luncheon. Five years in, it's become one of the most anticipated events of the year. This year's March 24th “Adulting Day” event received a HireSmart Cares grant for $1,800 to help cover the cost, part of the nonprofit's ongoing work to support workforce…
Revving Up Opportunity
Empower’s New Automotive Program Accelerates Student Success with HireSmart Support When Zach Holtzclaw walked into the brand-new automotive technology facility at Empower College and Career Center, he knew he was stepping into something special. As the inaugural director of the program, Holtzclaw faced the exciting challenge of building a comprehensive automotive curriculum from the ground up in a facility…