Madison County ag mechanics instructor Josh Daniel wants his students to understand that hands-on skills can get them places in life. "Working with your hands doesn't make you any less smart than someone with a four-year degree," he said. "It's just a different skill set. We need to stop thinking of blue-collar work as less…

Although the school year is young, Christy Hanson already sees her Danielsville Elementary School construction students gaining confidence in their hands-on abilities. "I can see a difference already in just a couple of weeks that I've been with them," she said. Hanson said she's particularly thrilled to see girls learning how to use a miter…

There are no “lazy days of summer” for Levi Booth. The 2024 Madison County High School graduate took off his red cap and gown and almost immediately hit the road with his dad and brother to get to work in North Carolina, constructing private student housing near Wake Forest University.  “It’s been good,” said Booth…

Even in silence, Madison County's Peyton Sartain keeps a beat as works on electrical wiring.   "If the song has a good beat, I like it," he said. "So, in my head, I'm just trying to play a good beat."     The music in Sartain's head is a winning tune. The rising Madison County High School…

While the monuments of Washington D.C. stand as testaments to past leaders, Devin Self is already laying the groundwork to become a leader in his own right — in the poultry industry.  This 2024 Madison County High School grad has his eyes on the prize — a future in poultry science. And he's not wasting…

If Christopher Wagnon says Caterpillar Inc. is "like family," he means it literally. The 2024 Madison County High School graduate recently joined his mom and dad, Crystal and Nathan, working for the construction equipment manufacturer.  "I just knew I was going to be doing a blue-collar job," said Christopher. "When my dad first showed me…