SHADOWING DAY PROVIDES INSIGHTS

Fifty businesses and 80 Jackson High School Future Business Leaders of America students participated in job shadowing this month.

The students shadowed business, education and city government jobs.

Ryan Lane and Amanda Barton, both seniors, were two of the students who shadowed LeeRowan employees.

Senior production engineer Rod Masinelli gave Ryan a tour of the paint line and the manufacturing part of the plant, as well as a Power Point presentation on sending a product through the system.

"It takes a lot of paperwork and people," Lane said. "I found out engineering's not all math."

Lane said he thought the engineers at LeeRowan would design the shelving that is manufactured there, but learned that the design work is actually done through a partner company.

"What they do here is figure out how to put the design into use and make sure the quality is good," he said

Lane also said he was impressed with the excellent quality of the product LeeRowan puts out and has an interest in working for them after completing an engineering or industrial design degree.

Among other shadowing students were Kyle Rice, who shadowed under Fire Chief Steve Golden; Katie Clark, who shadowed Bobbie Reagan, a first-grade teacher at South Elementary; Ashley Dost, who shadowed Jackson R-2 resource officer Rodney Barnes; and Josh Parham, who shadowed at Wal-Mart.

Samantha Thurman was chair of the FBLA job-shadowing committee. Becky Riney is chapter adviser.