Pender High School

PHS's Health Science teacher Danyiel New, winner of a Bright Ideas Grant from Four County, along with Pender High School Skills USA and Upward Bound hosted their very first Resume Workshop which was made possible by some amazing volunteers and is the first of a monthly series that will allow students to engage with professionals in our community and learn first-hand skills that are necessary for their professional futures.  Dine and Dive was drafted from the lunch and learn concept where students and professionals can gather and collaborate while enjoying a light meal and then diving into the curriculum for the evening.  Our first Dine and Dive hosted many professionals from businesses in our community including Kalandra Farrior who has established her own business Kalandras Corner which assists individuals with professional skills such as resume building, entrepreneurship, and other services.  We also hosted Cape Fear Community College and their career counselor Madi Griffin, their Career Development Coordinator Gina Mecca, and their Upward Bound representative Mary McIntosh, Smart Start Porcia Wilson, SECU Representatives Brad Taylor and Missy White, John Bryant Asst. Principal Cape Fear Middle School, Kathryn Ivancevich from UNCW, and our very own Mr. and Mrs. Sekela, all gave valuable information to our students about building powerful resumes for both college and the professional world of work.  This is just one way we can bring in the community and showcase the talents and valuable skills our students are learning right at home here at Pender High School and just a small step into growing our own so that these students stay in our communities and help build a better future for Pender County!  With the Bright Ideas Grant, we are able to host a workshop each month so that students and families may come together and engage in some powerful learning and also get to meet some incredible professionals all under one roof.  Our next project will be Financial Literacy which will be a three-part series designed to teach our students how to build good credit, become financially independent, and learn what taxes are all about.  The first Dine and Dive hosted over 30 students and several parents from two programs and we are certain it will continue to grow as the word gets out.  We want to thank Four County for being the first to pour into our students financially to help cover the cost associated with the learning.  The impact these workshops will have on students will last a life time and also impacts our community in a positive way by building relationships through both the community and with families.