Sophia Grier earned the $500 top prize for a recent book cover design contest at Madison County High School.  

The sophomore created a cover for “The Hustle Handbook: Lessons They Don’t Teach You IN SCHOOL, but Life Will,” by Mark Lackey, Co-founder of HireSmart Cares, a local nonprofit focused on workforce development.  

Lackey’s autobiography details his journey from a high school dropout to an accomplished entrepreneur. He aims to help struggling young people understand that they, too, can find a successful career path, and he offers encouragement and tips on how. 

The HireSmart co-founder held design contests for teens at area high schools to create a catchy cover for his book, and Sophia captured the prize for Madison County High School. She has a mention in the book for her cover design concept. 

Sophia also read the book and offered a review, which is printed as a blurb on the back of the book. 

“In this candid and inspiring memoir, entrepreneur Mark Lackey takes readers on a journey through twists, turns and valuable lessons of his career path,” wrote Sophia.  Drawing from personal experience — including the failures that ultimately led to success — Lackey offers high school students a fresh perspective on discovering and leveraging their unique talents. The Hustle Handbook isn’t another dry career guide. It’s a roadmap for young people navigating the gap between classroom learning and real-world success. Through engaging storytelling, Lackey reveals how identifying your natural abilities early can help you avoid costly detours and find fulfilling work that aligns with who you truly are. From understanding the value of failure to recognizing opportunity when it knocks, this book equips teenagers with practical wisdom for making informed career choices. As part of the HireSmart Cares initiative ‘Helping Kids’ Lackeys mission is clear: Help the next generation build meaningful careers by starting them with their authentic talents. A must-read for any student wondering ‘What comes next?’” 

Sophia says she is a “huge planner,” so she already has her career path mapped out.  

“After high school, I’m going straight into technical school to get a dental hygienist certification and start making money,” she said. “Once I’m financially stable, I want to go back to school, major in biosciences, and eventually get my dental degree. My goal is to have my own small dentistry business, either here in Madison County or maybe in East Tennessee.” 

Sophia said the book design award has led to side-hustle business ideas. 

“This experience opened my eyes,” she said. “My grandmother used to design invitations and hand-paint tiles, and now I’m thinking about doing invitations as a small side business. And I love the idea of designing my own marketing and branding for my future dental office.” 

HireSmart Cares is a Madison County-based 501c3 focused on providing K-12 students with the time, tools, teaching, and technology they need to have successful careers without taking on crippling college debt. To learn more about Cares, visit hiresmartcares.org. To inquire about receiving a copy of “The Hustle Handbook,” email info@hiresmartcares.org.