SE Wow Event Guides Students Toward Ideal Career Paths
Career paths aren’t just chosen — they’re carefully crafted.
In Geneva County, Amber Thornton guides young minds through this critical journey. With a resume that spans agriculture, education, and nursing, she’s not an average career coach. She understands what it feels like to be at a crossroads and helps reveal the vast landscape of future possibilities for students, starting as young as kindergarten.
“I get to use all of my past experiences and career fields to help students find theirs,” she says. It’s a mission that unfolds from the earliest grades, evolving from simple questions in elementary school about aspirations to strategic career planning in high school.
As students edge closer to graduation, the looming question of “what next?” becomes more pressing. Thornton’s message to them is both clear and comforting: “It’s OK if college is not for you.” She champions the value of vocational paths, emphasizing that success wears many hats, none less significant than another.
“That’s not to take anything away from our students who are college-bound, because it takes a little bit of everybody to make the world go round,” Thornton adds.
Preparation for life post-high school isn’t just about choosing a direction, it’s about readiness for the world of work. Thornton’s prep for the Southeast Alabama Worlds of Work, or WOW, career fair event is a testament to this, arming students with resumes and the confidence to engage with potential employers.
“We went through scenarios with 10th and 12th-grade students to make sure that our students are valuing that time with those vendors that come out to speak to them,” Thornton says.
WOW allows students an immersive experience and insights into local careers across industries or “worlds” of agriculture, automotive, aviation, construction and building science, health sciences, hospitality, manufacturing, media and information technology, public service, and military and utilities.
For the latter industry, Wiregrass Electric Cooperative always has a crew on-site to answer questions from inquiring young minds.
WEC’s exhibit allows students to learn how to safely handle electrical equipment, including live power lines, a digital electric panel, and common lineworker tools. If a student is interested in linework — a career field with a high earning potential — crew members direct students to the Wallace Community College Lineworker Program.
“We’re big supporters of of Southeast Alabama Works,” WEC CEO Brad Kimbro says. “We want young people who are trained and ready to meet the workforce demands here in our community. Nationally, there’s a shortage of lineworkers. We want these students to understand that a career in the electric utility world provides a great living with plenty of opportunities. And there’s always going to be a demand for those skills. It’s a great career.”
Educators and students alike sing praises for Southeast WOW, citing revelations about unknown job possibilities and the breadth of options within their reach. It’s had tangible outcomes, like the Slocomb High School graduate who transitioned from an automotive program at G-Tech, Geneva County’s career technical program, to a career with the help of WOW. It’s stories like these that underscore the value of the program’s mission and the broader goal of career coaching — to open students’ eyes to the opportunities that surround them.
Thornton’s advice for those still searching for their path is simple: Stay curious and keep exploring. “Keep asking questions,” she says.
Together, the cooperative effort from business, political, and educational leaders supporting Southeast WOW helps ensure that all students find their place in the world, armed with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to succeed in whatever path they choose.