Last summer, the Yokohama Tire Company announced that it had selected Kajima Building & Design Group to design and build the first phase of its manufacturing plant in Clay County.
The design firm is located in Atlanta, and in November, 18 members of the Lowndes County Youth Leadership program visited the headquarters.
The group — which is made of high school sophomores from Lowndes County — met with design and construction professionals. During the visit, the teenagers were broken into four groups and each group was paired with a designer. Their task was to develop a design for a monument sign that would be placed at the main entrance at the Yokohama plant in Clay County.
Each design formulated was kept by Kajima officials. As part of the Yokohama construction, the firm is making an actual monument and will take the students’ mock designs under consideration.
Chelsea Thompson, director of programs and events with the Golden Triangle Development Link, coordinates the leadership program, which aims to expose high school students to business and civic organizations.
The recent trip to Atlanta is a perfect example of how the program gives students the opportunity to interact with professionals, Thompson said.
The program began in 1999. It is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Columbus and the Office of Outreach and Innovation at Mississippi University for Women.
Each year, 20 area sophomores are chosen to take part in the program. There is at least one from each high school in Lowndes County.
This year, roughly 70 students applied. That initial number was whittled down to “about 40,” Thompson said, and then interviews were held before the 20 students were ultimately chosen.
“To be selected they must have leadership qualities,” Thompson said. “Good grades, involved in extracurricular activities, already interview well. These kids blow me away.”
The group meets at least once month. Each meeting has a theme. This month, for example, they met with several non-profit, volunteer-based local organizations. They traveled to Jackson, too, and toured the Capital.
Early next year, the students will each be paired with a working professional in the area and allowed to shadow that person throughout a normal work day.
The group will also have an interview day at The W.
Through the program — which runs each year from August through April — the Link hopes it readies above-average students for the careers they choose and prepares them to be leaders in the Golden Triangle area.
“What we try to do is take kids who already have shown potential to be leaders, and shape them and give them the skills they need to continue from high school to college,” Thompson said. “And hopefully, they stay in this area to work.”
William Browning was managing editor for The Dispatch until June 2016.
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