WEDNESDAY, JULY 5, 2017
PHOTO COURTESY OF DAWN SIERRA
Aaron’s family and friends hope Aaron’s dream of selling ice cream to the community will come true, not only for him, but to bring awareness about autism to the community.
‘Autism makes me awesome’ U.S. MARINE CORPS PHOTO BY LANCE CPL. JOSEPH JACOB
Glenda McCool, mother of U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Sean G. McCool, kisses her son after he is dismissed by his senior drill instructor following graduation June 9.
Sharpsburg’s McCool 7th-generation Marine
By LANCE CPL. JOSEPH JACOB Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island The white school bus sits idling as its passengers eagerly await what lies outside its folding doors. No one is certain what time it is, but the completely black skies outside the bus hint that midnight has come and gone. Despite all the nervous men on the bus, one sits calmly with his head down staring at his legs. This entire situation has a ring of deja vu for Sean G. McCool. The late-night bus ride, the
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Aaron Fountain pursues his dream of selling ice cream in downtown Newnan By MAGGIE BOWERS maggie@newnan.com
fluttering heart rate, the uneasy wait and butterflies before facing down a challenge. It feels like another football game. Tonight, however, there is no stadium awaiting him outside the bus. There are no stands filled with scores of supporting family and friends and no cheerleaders to encourage him to do his best. All that awaits him outside the bus is a pair of yellow footprints and 12 challenging
MARINE
A 25-year-old Newnan resident has big dreams, and he doesn’t plan to let anything get in his way — not even autism. In fact, Aaron Fountain knows that autism, a highly variable neurodevelopmental disorder commonly characterized by social or communicative impairments, is what makes him, well, him. “Autism makes me cool and awesome,” he said, a phrase his mom, Dawn Sierra, said is her son’s personal motto. Sierra said she and Aaron began discussing his goals for the future about a year ago. “We started talking about things Aaron would like to do now that he is an adult and out of high school,” Sierra said.
ICE CREAM PAGE 2
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Local hair stylist recognized nationally By MADELINE SCHINDLER madeline@newnan.com Sharon Tranter is on the cutting edge. As a professional hair stylist, it isn’t enough to simply “do hair.” Instead, the trade comes with stiff competition – and a battle to be the best. Tranter, it seems, is at the top of her class. The local stylist’s skills have recently been recognized at the national level. While living and working in Newnan, Tranter has become a top 5 finalist at the 2017 North American Hairstyling Awards. Designing and styling hair has always been a passion for the working mother. Tranter explained that by age 11, she was already interested in the trade and became known among friends and family for her talents. She began working in a salon at 15, and within two years, the young Tranter had established her own set of clientele and was well-established behind the chair. “From 17, I’ve never worked for anybody,” said Tranter. “I’ve always created the environments
PHOTO COURTESY OF DAWN SIERRA
New York models were flown in for the recent national competition Tranter participated in.
that I would like to work in.” Tranter came to Coweta County by way of England nearly 13 years ago, after her sons participated in an educational exchange program. She began work in the states at St. Hair, a local European-style salon. St. Hair combined a traditional salon with an educational atmosphere, a setup Tranter enjoyed. “My soul and passion is in helping other stylists reach their goals,” said Tranter. The stylist’s next move was to become a part of the North American branch of Schwartzkopf, a renowned haircare company. St. Hair salon
STYLIST PAGE 2
PHOTO COURTESY OF DAWN SIERRA
Aaron is currently offering a T-shirt for sale, which features the logo he created for his new business. Proceeds from sales will help the hopeful entrepreneur purchase his first ice cream cart.
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