Students find futures at Anson High career fair

WADESBORO — Students of Anson County were able to explore future jobs at the high school’s career fair on Wednesday, April 5.

Businesses from all over Anson County set up tables, from Atrium Health and South Piedmont Community College, to Lynn Thomas Grading and Anson Contractors. Other tables were set up for first responders and the U.S. Army, and many other businesses local to the area.

Each business brought out equipment and tools used for the job, such as Lynn Thomas Grading, who brought out a collection of excavators and semi-trucks. Not only did the equipment draw in attention, but Lynn Thomas also had their interns helping manage the table and bring in the attention of their colleagues.

“I’ve been here since January of this year,” high school senior and Lynn Thomas Grading intern, Jakyri Hixon said. “Ever since working here, I’ve been loving it. It’s my type of job right here. It’s just something I grew up around, my dad always worked construction so it’s in my blood.”

Lynn Thomas Grading does work in Anson and the surrounding counties, working on a large number of construction projects.

“We build bridges, ponds, any work from there,” another senior and intern, L.J. Merritt explained. “Road work, bridge work, grading work, about everything.”

The group’s favorite jobsite was the Windmere job in Monroe, where they worked on grading the land for the development of three ponds.

“So, what we did at Windmere was, we had graded out a whole pond,” Merritt explained. “It was like, one pond on one side and two on the other side, so we had graded all that out.”

Their other intern, senior Jordan Williams, explained that skills from the classroom transfer over into what they do, especially math, and that the job teaches a lot. When students stopped by the station, the trio showed the equipment and tools that went hand in hand with both classroom skills and skills that are taught in the job.

Other tables such as the U.S. Army’s brought out a range of equipment, as well as their soon-to-graduate intern, Omarion McCune.

“I like the adventure,” McCune explained. “I like to go to the places we go and the things that we do, get to see more life. More life than around me other than school and home and all that.”

McCune explained that he has enlisted and after he graduates next month, he will be starting his contract with the Army, which has taught him the skills needed for the line of work he’ll be doing.

“I’m learning the vehicles right now because I enlisted into the army as a mechanic,” McCune said. “So I’ve been learning the vehicles. Hands on and stuff like that.”

McCune explained that his current contract is for four years, but since he loves the job so far, he’s thinking about reenlisting when the time comes for it. He encouraged anyone interested to join, whether it’s an internship or enlisting.

“The Army’s not as bad, it’s not Call of Duty like everybody thinks. It’s pretty fun and sweet, and I say go for it,” McCune said.

The Army was one of the more popular tables at the job fair, right next to the National Guard who brought out trucks and equipment, and Anson Contractors, who brought out their drone and explained to interested students how the drone helps with observing land from a birds eye view, and helping with getting it developed.