MHS holds first even College and Career Readiness Day

MHS holds first even College and Career Readiness Day

Director: ‘ It was all about their future’

Marion School District With an eye on making sure its students were ready for college and a career, the Marion School District hosted its first College and Career Readiness Day.

The all-day event included workshops and informational sessions stretching from one end of the high school campus to the other. Half the students participated in a three-hour college prep session in the Marion Performing Arts Center while the other half of the students and presenters rotated between 20-30 minute information and self-help sessions. Sessions were held in the band, choir and theater rooms, the cafeteria and the old gymnasium.

“Our main goal is to prepare students to be college and career ready,” said MSD Director of Secondary Education Hugh Inman. “It gave us an opportunity to bring in a regionally-known speaker, Chad Cargill, to make a presentation to our students.”

The shorter break-out sessions were conducted by representatives from Arkansas State University and ASU Mid-South and covered a variety of topics for college- and careerbound students such as college and career preparation, the importance of their ACT score in relation to college admissions, scholarship funding, leadership, diversity/advising, student support and college recruitment.

“It was all about their future. It allowed the students a chance to dream out loud and help them understand the importance of further training,” Inman said, “not necessarily a four-year degree but more training. There is some form of specialized training in all employment fields and the training varies greatly. The better our students know what the world holds, the better their preparations will be for their future.”

Junior Laura White said she has known for a long time that she wanted to be either an attorney or a veterinarian but the workshops at MHS steered her toward the legal profession.

“I don’t like anything to do with blood and the college and career day let me know what I should be looking for and the grades I will need (for law school),” she said. “I put me on the path to become an attorney.”

Junior Hershell Russell has his eye on becoming a construction company owner, but is aware of the business applications he will need to run a successful business.

“It helped me know what math courses to know and what to use when I get to college,” he said.

Russell said he likes to draw plans and complete construction projects. He has already completed all construction arts programs in high school.

Sophomore Avan Carter plans a career in either computer software engineering or computer engineering. And he will be quick to tell you that there is a difference in the two careers.

“I’ve always liked to work with technology,” Carter said.

Marion High School offers numerous computer technology classes and will be adding more in the future. Carter said he will be taking all that are offered and is looking at classes at ASU Mid-South for more.

All three students are college bound. White is looking at either Georgia Tech or Georgia State University and has been asked to visit Georgia Tech.

Russell’s college plans include Arkansas State University or Kentucky for the “business aspects” offered at both universities. Carter said he has contacted several colleges and at least 10 have shown an interest in his academic skills but he has not settled on one institution of higher learning yet.

“I am also looking at classes at ASU Mid-South,” Carter said. “They have a lot of IT essentials that can teach me a lot.”

Carter was also hopeful that the day would be repeated during the 20162017 school year.

Instrumental in getting College and Career Day off and running with Inman were MHS Principal Lincoln Daniels and teachers Shannon Ginn and Farrah McFarland.

“Those were the primary local contributors, but as you know it took the entire faculty and staff to pull off such a different and hopefully productive event; setup, cleaning, supervision, etc., just far too many things to list,” Daniels said.

By Mike Douglas