Students at Marshall County High School had the opportunity to participate in a new camp offered exclusively to incoming freshmen. Eight freshmen took advantage of the camp organized by the City of Calvert City and Marshall County High School’s Family Resource Youth Service Center.
Anyone who has been to high school knows the excitement and nervousness that occurs as an incoming freshman. New Beginnings gave students a “leg up” before school starts. Students know where their classes are located, they were introduced to teachers and school leaders, and as a bonus, explored local businesses and learned about career opportunities in our area. “Sometimes the road toward a career can feel difficult while students work to transform their dreams into careers. This camp offers students the chance to start early and explore a number of different career paths and learn the necessary steps to turn their interests into a career. My hope is that they see the wonderful and broad selection of job opportunities we have right here in Calvert City and upon graduation, they choose to live and work in our community,” said Blair Travis, director of marketing, communications, and business development for Calvert City.
The camp began with field trips to West KY Aquaponics, where Tammie McCullough talked about starting a new business and how she become an entrepreneur. “The students were so attentive and asked great questions. This is one of the many reasons I quit nursing, to get back to my community, try to help, and make a difference,” said McCullough, owner of West KY Aquaponics.
Businesses opened their doors to students, showcased careers, and shared ways to start preparing for a career while in high school. The businesses were selected to align with Marshall County High School’s Career Pathways. Those pathways are agriculture, business, carpentry, electrical, family consumer science, health science, information technology, law and public safety, media arts, and welding.
Survey results from the camp stated that 100 percent felt they have a trusted adult in the building before they even start school and 80 percent said they are less anxious about starting high school. “New Beginnings was a huge success in its first year. It was rewarding to witness our community members instilling their passion for their careers in our students. Hearing our students’ plans for their future careers change from “I’m not sure” to specific pathway-focused career opportunities was just amazing! We are excited to see this program grow in the years to come,” said Beth Baker, coordinator for the Family Resource Youth Service Center at Marshall County High School. When asked if students preferred the hands-on approach to learning about career opportunities, 100 percent said they preferred learning about future careers in the community by experiencing those fields off campus.
New Beginnings is a partnership of Marshall County High School, Family Resource Youth Service Center, and the City of Calvert City. Of course, this camp would not be possible without the contributions of our local businesses. Thank you to West KY Aquaponics, CFSB, Wacker, SmartPath Technologies, Studio270, Calvert City Police Department, Calvert City Fire Department, Patti’s 1800 Settlement, Kentucky Department of Aviation, US Army Corps of Engineers, and West Kentucky Community and Technical College.
For more information on how to be involved with New Beginnings 2023, please call (270) 395-7138 or email info@calvertcityky.gov.
