New Beginnings Student Camp

By Cassie Johnson

Anyone who has been in high school knows the excitement and nervousness that comes with being an incoming freshman. It can be especially overwhelming going into a larger school and being in unfamiliar territory. Thanks to a program called New Beginnings, a few lucky underclassmen at Marshall County High School can get an upper hand before the first day of school.

New Beginnings is exclusively for incoming freshmen. The goal is to assist students who may be struggling to gain confidence and help them recognize the importance of their education. With a tour of Marshall County High School, students find where their classes are located which gives them a head start before the first day of school. They are also introduced to teachers and school leaders so they feel comfortable in their new setting before school starts.

Career Opportunities

The program focuses on more than the school. Students explore local businesses and learn about career opportunities in our area. Blair Travis, Director of Marketing, Communications, and Business Development for Calvert City is one of the organizers for New Beginnings. With the combined efforts of Travis and community members, students can explore career options they may not have known existed.

“Sometimes, the road toward a career path can feel difficult while students are working to transform their dreams into careers,” Travis, told me. “This camp offers students the chance to start early and explore several different options. They can learn the necessary steps to turn their interests into a lifelong career that they love. I hope that they see the wonderful and broad selection of job opportunities here in Calvert City and Marshall County and will choose to live and work in our community.”

Businesses opened their doors to students showcasing careers and sharing ways to start preparing for a career while they are still in high school. The businesses were selected to align with Marshall County High School’s Career Pathways which include agriculture, business, carpentry, electrical, family consumer science, health science, information technology, law and public safety, media arts, and welding.

Last year, the first day of camp began with a field trip to West KY Aquaponics. Owner Tammie McCullough talked about starting a new business and how she become an entrepreneur.

“The students were so attentive and asked great questions,”

McCullough said. “They all expressed interest in learning more about entrepreneurship and running a business. This is one of the many reasons I quit my career in nursing. I wanted to get back to my community, try to help, and make a difference.”

Less Anxiety & A Good Start

Survey results from the camp showed that 100 percent of the students felt comfortable about it and were glad to have a trusted adult in the building before the first day of school. Anxiety decreased as 80 percent of the students said they felt less anxious about starting high school. Every student agreed that they prefer a hands-on approach to learning about career opportunities.

Last year, eight freshmen took advantage of the camp. Travis hopes to have even more this year. With enough community involvement, she would love to have a second class of camp. Travis hopes that other school districts are encouraged to join their efforts and offer New Beginnings at their schools.

“New Beginnings was a huge success in its first year," said Beth Baker, coordinator for the Family Resource Youth Service Center at Marshall County High School. “It was rewarding to witness our community members instilling their passion for their careers in our students. Hearing our students' plans for their future careers change from "I'm not sure" to specific, focused career opportunities was just amazing! We are excited to see this program grow in the years to come.”

New Beginnings is organized by the City of Calvert City and Marshall County High School’s Family Resource Youth Service Center. This camp would not be possible without the contributions of generous businesses who believe in helping to shape the future of our community. Thank you to West KY Aquaponics, CFSB, Wacker, SmartPath Technologies, Studio270, Calvert City Police Department, Calvert City Fire Department, Patti’s 1800 Settlement, Kentucky Department of Aviation, US Army Corps of Engineers as well as West Kentucky Community and Technical College.

For more information on how to be involved with New Beginnings 2023, please call 270.395.7138 or email info@calvertcityky.gov.