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Local students attend Girl Boss Day
Fifty-eight junior and senior girls from the Holmes district attended the Career and Technical Education's Girl Boss Day event last Friday on the Goodman Campus.
The students were able to experience first-hand some career opportunities they may not have considered such as Welding, HVAC, Collision Repair, Automotive Technology and Engineering Technology. Schools represented included McAdams High School, Madison Central High School, Kosciusko High School, Holmes County Central High School, JZ George High School, Germantown High School, Ethel High School, Holmes County Career & Technical Center, Kosciusko Attala Career Technical Center, and Madison County Career Technical Center.
"Career and Technical Education programs are accountable for enrolling and completing a certain percentage of nontraditional students in every CTE program," Vice President for Career and Technical Education Dr. Amy Whittington said. "Nontraditional in this sense refers to gender – for example, female students are considered nontraditional students in Welding.
"Each year, the community colleges in the state are given the opportunity to apply for a grant to aid in recruitment of nontraditional students to Career and Technical programs through the Mississippi Community College Board," she said. "This year, we were awarded this grant for our proposal entitled, "Girl Boss: Act like a lady. Think like a boss. Empowering young women to enter nontraditional career fields."
Attendees explored opportunities in the nontraditional fields of Welding, HVAC, Collision Repair, Automotive Technology, and Engineering Technology by participating in hands-on activities at each of the five stations and hearing from the respective instructors about career opportunities for females in those areas.
Lynn Boykin, Engineering Technology Instructor on the Ridgeland Campus, welcomed the students and explained her experience as a female in a nontraditional career field. Students also had the opportunity to speak with Nettie Coggin, Maintenance Technology Instructor on the Grenada campus, and Heather Mooney, Engineering Technology Instructor on the Ridgeland campus, during lunch in the Cafeteria about their roles in a nontraditional career field.
"Students received a hand massage and gift certificate for a free manicure from Cosmetology students to reinforce the idea that being in a nontraditional field does not prevent one from maintaining their feminine character," Dr. Whittington said. "Each student received a packet of information about Holmes Community College and our Career and Technical programs, as well as items to commemorate their experiences of the day, such as a tire gauge keychain along with a Holmes CC luggage tag custom made by our Engineering Technology program."
Whittington said survey information will be gathered to determine future events, but she said she was pleased with the turnout despite weather concerns in the northern part of the Holmes district.
"Students, counselors, and instructors involved all expressed their gratitude for Holmes hosting an event like this," Dr. Whittington said. "We felt that it did expose some students to career fields they might not have otherwise explored. The presentations of the instructors were all very engaging, and the students were very interactive at each station. CTE plans to continue this event if feedback warrants, possibly duplicating something similar for male students as well. We always love having prospective students come to our campuses and see what all a career in CTE can offer. It was a fun day for all involved!"
Attendees have a chance to win four $250 scholarships to Holmes Community College. They will submit an essay detailing their experience at the event. The essays are due no later than March 15.
