March 20, 2024
By MEALAND RAGLAND-HUDGINS
Rutherford County Schools
Nearly two dozen students from Smyrna West Alternative School recently spent a day with members of the Rotary Club of Smyrna to get an inside look at the local business community.
Smyrna West is one of Rutherford County’s two alternative schools for middle and high school students. Students attend if they have a zero-tolerance offense on their disciplinary record or have been remanded for a specified length of time.
The Rotary Club of Smyrna acts as the school’s Parent-Teacher Organization and the annual Job Shadow Day is just one way the club supports Smyrna West. Rotary provides grant funds to help purchase uniforms and food for students, teacher morale initiatives and classroom needs.
After spending the morning on the job with Rotarians, students were treated to lunch at the Smyrna Event Center and given the opportunity to share what they learned.
"Today was a day where I could stop and think on the different pathways I could have in the music industry. And going to the front of the dining hall/speaking in front of everyone helped me towards my goal of being able to perform in front of a large audience,” student Aiden said.
"One thing that I learned from this amazing experience is something that can never be taken away from you is your education," added student Dezariyah. “Always keep that in mind and stay positive.”
"It was interesting to be with a stranger for some time of the day and learn about them," said student Sergio.
"The whole experience was life-changing for me," student Ezequiel added.
Kelly Messerly, the librarian and creative writing teacher at Smyrna West, relayed the importance of the day to club members.
“Please know that you have once again left a lasting impression on our students. Yes, you showed them insights into the day-to-day realities of your profession, but more importantly, you showed them that community leaders care about them and their future success,” Messerly said in an email.
Eight business leaders hosted students for Job Shadow Day: Ron Alley of Carpe Artista; Emerson Williams of State Farm; Danny Tolleson of Turner Security; Eric Brown of Edward Jones; Chris Atkinson of Elder's Ace Hardware; Rick Hall of Raborn Insurance; Teresa Austin of Taylor Farms and Cindy Clark of Traditions of Smyrna.