Written by Joy Galon
First. Second. Fourth. Seventh. Banks County High School’s four competitors each claimed a place among the nation’s best at the national FFA Agricultural Technology and Mechanical Systems competition, bringing home the team championship in a field of 46 teams. Ty Miller placed first individually, Luke Wheatley finished second, Mark Grier...
Written by Joy Galon
When Lynn Booth arrived at Commerce High School, the school's FCCLA chapter had eight members. Today, it has more than 200. The numbers tell part of what has happened over the past few years, but Booth sees something more important behind them. Students who might never have considered joining a...
Written by Joy Galon
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...
Written by Joy Galon
Zachery Hess has a skill most aspiring graphic designers don't. He can fly. Hess is the outgoing drone commander for the Navy JROTC program at Pisgah High School in Canton, North Carolina, where instructor J. Scott Campbell built a competitive drone program with help from a $4,981 HireSmart Cares grant. This fall, Hess heads...
Written by Joy Galon
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...
Written by Joy Galon
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...