ARCHITECTURE
Jimmy Wilhide has been an architect for 25 years. After attending Clemson Unversity for his bachelor and master degrees in architecture, he started a business with a partner. He then joined Moseley Architects and focused on the K-12 Education sector where he has enjoyed creating effective and beautiful learning environments. In fact, he worked on Nation Ford High School for 10 years from concept to completion. After 20 years with Moseley, he will be transitioning to LS3P Associates but still designing spaces for young minds to grow and learn. He talked with CRHS Senior Anna and Sophomore Ryan. Watch the interview and learn about being an architect.
ARTS ~ DIRECTOR/EDITOR, PHOTOGRAPHY, TV PRODUCTION & ARTIST
Jack Miller, Director & Editor, formed his own company last year and moved to So. California. Sonder Mediums is built around creating curiosity and empathy with diverse stories. Focusing on feature-length and serial projects, they create narratives and documentaries for audiences looking to see the world beyond their own experience. He continues to work with Wheelhouse Media in Charlotte, which is an award-winning video production company that works closely with clients to create branded content for marketing campaigns across all media platforms. His degree is from UNC Greensboro in Broadcasting & Cinema. He talked with NFHS Senior, Deuce, about what it's like to create and edit videos/films. His career has not been a straight path, and he says it's competitive and hard but worth it. Watch what he loves about it.
Nathan Bingle, Photographer The world of photography has always intrigued me. However, my career started off in the kitchen. For about 15 years I worked in restaurants and casinos. It’s no surprise that after running a restaurant and catering many weddings as an executive chef, I’m now running my own business. What’s more, I’m still very much a part of the wedding world. It’s just in a different role. This time I’m the photographer.
What I like the most about my job as a photographer are the people I meet and photograph. Whether it’s a bride and groom or the kids I meet in the schools and out on the athletic fields, I enjoy being a part of people’s milestone moments. Watch the interview with CRHS Junior Addison.
Kathy Phillips is Chief Curator at Springs Creative Products Group. When you click on her photo, you'll get a history of her career as an artist in a variety of fields as well as ideas of how you might be paid to do art or work within an artistic company or role.
Digital Art & Design students, Emma and Bryana, visited Springs Creative. Kathy showed them the archives of fabric designs, and they met designers, Ashlyn, Maggie, Sarah, and Lindsey. Watch
Rachel Richardson attended Winthrop University and has a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism. That is when she fell in love with the journalism craft and giving people in the community a voice. She also had the opportunity to study journalism and human resource management in London, England at Kingston University.
Previously, Rachel completed a news internship at WIS News 10 in Columbia. She was a staff writer at her college’s newspaper The Johnsonian and she was an anchor and reporter for “Winthrop Close Up.” She started work as a digital marketer.
Click on her photo to learn more and get good advice.
COSMETOLOGY
Two Nation Ford HS 2019 graduates that are both licensed and practicing cosmetologists spoke with Fort Mill HS Senior Camryn Ford. Kenzie Roccio, who went to Kenneth Shuler and now works at Salon Naman in Rock Hill, and Alyssa Williams, who went to Aveda and works in a home-based business with her boss and mentor, answer Camryn's questions, share their education and preparation, daily work life, and advice. Watch the video. Check out below the details of the top beauty schools in our region.
Kenzie Roccio (left) and Alyssa Williams (right)
LAW
BJ Barrowclough is the 16th Circuit Public Defender with 27 years of experience. He studied psychology at the University of VA and went to law school at Boston College. Mr. Barrowclough joined the Public Defender's office in 1995 and became Circuit Defender in January 2020. He spoke to Mr. Knight's Fort Mill HS Dual Enrollment Criminal Justice/Sociology class about what it's like and what it takes to defend indigent clients. Watch the video.
Judge William McKinnon is interviewed by NFHS Junior Amira. He describes the different types of courts (Trial or Circuit, Family, Magistrate, Probate, Appeals and Supreme) and the various professionals that play a part in court proceedings. He invites students to observe criminal cases as those courtrooms are open to the public. He also shares the different types of lawyers, such as trial, patent, tax, estate, real estate and corporate. He gives advice on what to study and more. He started his career as a teacher so it makes sense that you can learn a lot by watching this video.
CYBERSECURITY, DATA ANALYTICS/MACHINE LEARNING, CODING/SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
Michelle Mack, Principal Solutions Engineer with Rocket Software, shares her work life and tips on how to gain experience. She also highlights the different options in computer science and how you can prepare yourself to work in this "colorful" field.
Evan Felker, Novant Health, Information Security Policy & Compliance Analyst, Cybersecurity Products & Services talked with Nation Ford HS Senior, Tyler Zokos, and Fort Mill HS Junior, Jeremy Ianne, about his career path and offers advice on making your way in this field. He studied criminology and criminal justice at USC and started his career with SC Law Enforcement Division (SLED) before doing contract cybersecurity work in banking and insurance companies. Watch the video.
Free Cybersecurity Resources:
Cybrary provides guided pathways, threat-informed training, and certification preparation to fully equip cybersecurity professionals at every stage in their career.
Krebs on Security Brian Krebs is the author of this daily blog covering computer security and cybercrime. He is an American journalist and investigative reporter best known for his coverage of profit-seeking cybercriminals.
Dr. Hyslip answers cybersecurity questions from Mr. Whitehead's Computer Programming 2 students at Fort Mill HS and addresses pros & cons of military and civilian jobs, career prospects, education options, reverse engineering, tools to safely learn, and more. He shares what attracted him and kept him engaged and his most exciting case. Watch video
Dr. Thomas Hyslip is an Instructor in the Dept. of Criminology, University of South Florida teaching in the Master of Science in Cybercrime program, which is a unique blend of criminology, digital forensics, cybercrime investigations, and incident response course work.
Prior to USF, Dr. Hyslip worked as a Special Agent with the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), US Secret Service, and the Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division for 23 years. Dr. Hyslip led an undercover operation dedicated to targeting and dismantling the most egregious cyber-criminal enterprises and worked with the National Security Agency, and the US Cyber Command to identify and infiltrate cyber-criminal organizations targeting the Dept. of Defense (DoD).
In 2012, Dr. Hyslip was promoted to lead the DoD, DCIS, Cyber Resident Agency in 8 locations across the eastern US responding to computer intrusions within the DoD and the Defense Industrial Base. His office also provided computer forensic support to all DCIS offices and investigations within the Eastern United States, Europe, Africa and Southwest Asia.
Dr. Hyslip is also a retired US Army Colonel. COL Hyslip has a mix of active duty and reserve assignments spanning over 26 years including assignments with the US African Command, Office of Inspector General, the DoD, Office of Inspector General, and the US Army Reserve Information Operations Command. In 2005, COL Hyslip deployed to Iraq with the 306th Military Police Battalion and earned a Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and Combat Action Badge.
Free Cybersecurity Resources
US Army Cyber Command (defense and offense to protect Dept of Defense systems)
Signal Corps (backbone of communication networks)
Two virtual computers (one for scanning the other):
Kali Linux with Metasploit to scan attack Metasploitable (vulnerable computer to scan)
VMWare Player and Virtual Box: free virtual software to use with both above
Internet Scanner via website to use on personal internet connection to see how they work. First use Ipchicken.com to determine your personal IP address. Then put your IP address in one of these websites and it will show what internet ports are open to the world.
FTK Imager: free forensic tool to get data off of devices.
Volatility: Free Digital Forensic software. Works very well with lots of free tutorials, lessons, etc.
Elizabeth Fitzgerald was in 10th grade at Fort Mill HS when she impressed Dr. Mirsad Hadzikadic at UNCC Data Science Initiative (now Complex Systems Institute) with her sincere curiosity about data analytics, machine learning and more. He invited Elizabeth to work with his PhD students on the issue of economic mobility that summer. The next summer she was accepted into the Research Science Institute (RSI) at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She went back to "Dr. Mirsad" for the summer before leaving for Stanford University to work on a machine learning project. She has had college internships with InfoSys in India, ExoAnalytic Solutions, Tesla and Amazon. She is going to continue at Stanford to obtain a master's degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning.
To learn more about her journey and the wisdom she has to share, watch this video interview.
HEALTHCARE
Over the past dozen years, Zoe Cowles has worked her way up from pediatric nurse to supervisor to navigator and nurse manager for the Congenital Cardiac Outpatient Department of Atrium Health Levine Children's Charlotte Pediatrics. She studied psychology and nursing at University of NC Wilmington and obtained a master's degree in Clinical Nurse Leader from Queens University of Charlotte.
She talked with NFHS student, Ella Voss, who is interested in pediatric nursing. Watch the interview and get tips on how to become a nurse and more.
Dr. Kristen Childress, Veterinarian with Greenway Animal Hospital, shared her experience and gives some good practical advice. Watch
Dr. Ziad Hage, Neurosurgeon with Novant Health, spoke with Sinclaire Nixon Nation Ford HS. Listen to the audio recording of their conversation.
"I first fell in love with medicine while shadowing my father, who is a medical oncologist. However, I knew I wanted to train in a surgical specialty, and when I first discovered the complexity of the nervous system, I was attracted to neurosurgery.
Cerebrovascular neurosurgery is a highly technical specialty, demanding the utmost rigor, compassion and surgical skills. Today, I am a board-certified cerebrovascular, endovascular and skull base neurosurgeon and lead physician for cranial and endovascular neurosurgery."
Jenna Bartlett is a Midwife with Piedmont OB/GYN in Rock Hill. She recently shared her experience with Catawba Ridge HS Early Childhood Education students, who are studying child development. Watch the video where she talks about why she chose obstetrics and women's care and what her work life is like.
Megan Vanderploeg has been a Physician Assistant (PA) for 15 years, and is currently with the Pediatric Cardiology Department of Atrium Levine Children's Hospital. She is interviewed by Catawba Ridge HS Senior Taylor Burns. Watch the video where she talks about preparing to be a PA (choosing a college, major, etc.), what the work environment is like and offers other advice for students. Watch Ms. Vanderploeg answer questions from Nation Ford HS HOSA students.
Nicole Keeter is a Physician Assistant (PA) with 14 years of dermatology experience – medical, surgical and cosmetic. She completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing & Management and a pre-medicine minor from USC and obtained a Master of Sciences in Health Science from George Washington University's PA Program while also completing an Advanced Surgical Practicum. Ms. Keeter practiced at The George Washington Dept of Dermatology and for two years held the position of Associate Professor of PA Studies. In 2014, Nicole moved back to the Southeast where she practiced at a hospital outpatient dermatology clinic and in 2019, joined Fort Mill Dermatology. Watch as she is interviewed by Nation Ford Senior, Victoria Cross.
Dr. Peter Zakow, Cardiothoracic Surgeon, and Physician Assistant, Heather McHenry, from Piedmont Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgery, talk with two FMSD students interested in becoming surgeons (Nav from Nation Ford HS and Zyairah from Catawba Ridge HS). The questions and answers center on the educational paths and day-to-day schedules/lifestyle, challenges and motivations.
Click here to watch the video and learn what it takes to be successful in this field and how different the paths of surgeon and PA are and how they work together.
Dr. Zakow visited Catawba Ridge HS to share his experience with Mrs. Merrill's Principles of Biomedical Science students on 9-21-22. See some highlights in this 5 minute video.
Tammy Moore, Chief Nursing Officer at the NEW Piedmont Medical Center in Fort Mill, gave Health Science 4 students and their teachers (Lori Jackson @ Nation Ford HS and Cory Bradley @ Fort Mill HS) a behind-the-scenes tour. The video is just a few minutes highlighting various careers, such as different types of nurses, ultrasound technician, central sterile technician, and phlebotomists.
Colby Kuhl Kern, Pharmacist with the US Public Health Service, shares what it's like to work in the federal prison system with NFHS Junior, Sonya. She highlights the benefits of work-life balance, military benefits, and not having to deal with insurance as well as her specialty of diabetes and clinicals. She also explains the education path and offers tips on how to discover whether or not you'll enjoy the work.
Victoria and Ellie are Nation Ford Health Science 4 students. During their clinical rotations or job shadowing experiences, their workplace mentors at Atrium Health Musculoskeletal Institute Orthopedics & Sports Medicine taught them what it's like to get a cast.
Atrium Health
Dr. Kristi Wragg is an adult psychiatrist, originally from Michigan. After working as a clinical social worker in the psychiatric emergency department at Rutger’s University, Dr. Wragg decided to pursue medicine at Central Michigan University. During her residency training, she served as the Chief Resident for the Sandra & Leon Levine Psychiatry Residency Program within Atrium Health in Charlotte. She is now a Staff Psychiatrist with Hopeway, which offers various residential and outpatient programs with the vision to be a premier leader of mental health services by providing holistic care grounded in science, while building awareness and acceptance through education. Watch the video where she is interviewed by FMHS Junior, Srinikitha.
Dr. Stephanie Le is a Forensic Psychiatrist with the SC Department of Mental Health. FMHS student Victoria interviewed her about the educational requirements, day-to-day activities, what are the best, most challenging and stressful parts of the career, and how she works with law enforcement. Dr. Le shares what skills and abilities are needed to be successful and gives great advice on how to discover your best path.
Jason McCullough, Director of Quality Management for US Radiology Specialists, talks about the path of radiology technician to quality management and what it takes to prevail through the two-year degree and excel in this field or any other. His 32 years of experience and raising five children with his wife makes his advice twice as meaningful. Watch the video of two FMHS students (Angelica and Will) interviewing him.
Dr. Mark Bartholdi, Doctor of Occupational Therapy, Certified Hand Therapist, and Dr. Dale Patterson, Principal Faculty for Masters of Arts in Physician Assistant Studies, along with six wonderful Occupational Therapy graduate students, at the Center for Health Sciences in Albemarle, NC, hosted 10 FMSD students in their Physician Assistant, Occupational Therapy and Cadaver labs on 12/8/21. See the video from the visit.
Matt Duffie
Physician Assistant/PA
Hospitalist
Atrium Health
Michelle Gagan, Department Chair of Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT) and Medical Assisting at York Technical College, shares her experience and that of her students. She talks about the options available in private practices and hospitals, as well as traveling professionals.
Watch FMHS student Isabella interview her.
See the York Tech MLT video.
Sarah Kelly Rowe explains the career of a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and the programs we offer at Winthrop University.
Kerri Durkan made the most of her time at Nation Ford HS ('18 grad) and took advantage of every opportunity she was given/earned. She took health science and biomedical classes and pursued a WBL opportunity with Genetics Counselor, Christen Csuy, which ultimately lead to an internship at Novant Women's Center. Dr. Csuy wrote a fabulous recommendation on her behalf for a research project at Appalachian State University (bachelor’s degree in cellular/molecular biology and plans to do her master’s degree). She has been a chemistry lab teaching assistant and now an undergrad research assistant. Kerri received the Dr. Carolyn Hampton Research Scholarship from the biology department for the most worthy undergraduate research project. She is also President of Tri-beta Biological Honor Society and a member of the Chemistry Club.
Her Linked In profile reads: “I am an avid lover of genetics with a keen interest in pursuing an education in population and evolutionary genetics. I began a capstone research project under the advisory of Dr. Scott Chiavlo in October of 2019, where I am attempting to identify what alleles increase in frequency within the D. falleni population following selection for increased toxin tolerance. Starting the Fall of 2021, I will be continuing my research with Dr. Scott Chialvo as a member of the accelerated admission graduate program.”
In February 2021, she wrote to say “my high school internship at Novant once again made me a stand-out applicant and acceptances from Vanderbilt, Chapel Hill, and Appalachian State University. App State offered her a fellowship that pays tuition and living costs to teach the genetics labs to ungrads. On top of graduating a year early, she is conducting an independent research study and will be presenting her findings at a national conference this summer.
Let me know if you want to ask Kerri questions about her education, research, and career plan. She is a shining example of how to use WBL in high school and college to launch your career. She spoke to Daniel, who is a NF senior studying Health Science and considering a medical career with an emphasis in genetics. Here is the video of their discussion.
Emily Tucker, CNSA Nurse Practitioner, shares the details of neurosurgery work by answering questions from Emily Merrill's students at CRHS. Her personal reasoning and motivation for the work that she and her teammates do is all about making a difference for patients, including Colin Edleman, who was only four years old when he needed life-saving brain surgery after an accident. Watch video.
James Bowman is a Paramedic with the Fort Mill Rescue Squad. He is an experienced Cardiovascular Technician, who has worked in Emergency Medicine, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), and Emergency Services in SC, NC and VA. On Oct. 25, 2021 he shared his experience and advice with Catawba Ridge HS students in Mrs. Emily Merrill's Principles of Biomedical Sciences class. Here is the video.
Lexie Bartholdi - OT.mp4Alexia "Lexie" Bartholdi, OTR/L, SIPT Certified, Occupational Therapist for Fort Mill School District, spoke with CRHS senior, Maggie Totherow, about what degrees are required, subjects to study, work environment, typical work day and more.
Bishoi Rezk is a licensed pharmacist in South Carolina and Washington D.C. with Bachelor's Degree of Pharmacy, and Master's degree of Business Administration with total experience of 16 years in the pharmaceutical industry (i.e., retail, hospital, and global pharmaceutical business). He is ‘’helping people on their path to better health.’’ Click here to watch the video interview and learn what inspired him and advice he has for pharmacy tech students and those who hope to become pharmacists.
Dr. Amir Dawoud, Anesthesiologist and Pain Management, Cleveland Clinic Florida, talks with George Rezk from Fort Mill HS about his education, career and work life. He shares which courses are most important, such as pharmacology and anatomy, and optional career paths. Click here to watch the video.
Hannah Faulkenberry, Family Nurse Practitioner, Obsterics and Gynecology for Atrium Health Piedmont GYN/OB, focuses on women's wellness exams, gynecological conditions, pregnancy and postpartum care. “I enjoy women's healthcare because I am able to educate and equip women with the knowledge they need to make informed healthcare decisions.” She shared her experience and advice with Fort Mill HS students in Mrs. Cicely Brown's Early Childhood Education class where they study women's health and child development in utero. Here is the video.
Dr. Noah Zacharko is a physical therapist with a unique business model. He shares his story and advice for students interested in helping patients and possibly owning their own business. Click on his name to visit his web page and photo to hear his interview.
ENGINEERING
Meredith Hatchett is a Process Technology Engineer with Stallergenes Greer in Lenoir NC (headquartered in Paris). She studied Bioengineering at Clemson University where she graduated in 2019 and now works to improve the lives of those living with allergies. She was interviewed by Fort Mill HS Junior, Dany Perez. Watch the video where she talks about her education, career options, and how she prepared to work in the exciting field of biomedical engineering.
Dana Bolles works for the science engagement and partnership division at NASA. Dana was first hired as a payload safety engineer at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in 1995. Since then, she has worked at four NASA centers and mission support roles, and at least 10 more years in the human exploration and science divisions. Having been born with no legs, Dana rides an electric wheelchair to be independent. During her education, Dana studied engineering. She thought, “If I can’t find useful equipment to help me with activities, I can design it as an engineer.” Dana went on to get a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Dana shares her experience and what it takes to be successful in NASA and gives excellent advice for any career choice. She is interviewed by Fort Mill HS sophomore, Phoenix, who asks thoughtful questions about NASA projects and much more. Watch the interview.
Nuclear Engineer, Jonathan Turner, talks about his career starting in the US Navy as an electronics technician and working for private companies, such as GE, Westinghouse, AREVA, and Zachry Nuclear Engineering as well as the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). He shares details of what it's like to work on nuclear submarines and power plants throughout the world.
Watch the video where CRHS Sophomore, Ryland, interviews him.
Other Aerospace Companies to consider:GE AviationRolls Royce AerospacePratt Whitney Military EnginesSafran Aircraft EnginesCollins Aerospace
Mario Pinto, Rotation Engineer, and
Reed Jackson
Production Engineering Manager
Watch the video.
Wayne Parente is an aerospace engineer with Pratt & Whitney in Toronto, Canada. Watch the video where he answers questions from multiple FMSD students and talks about his education and career journey and what being an aerospace engineer involves. He also shares wisdom about learning tools used in any industry and teaching others or sharing your knowledge throughout your career.
Brandi Reilly Sharp, Senior Marketing Manager at HDR, is an environmental engineer with an MBA in the power industry. She tells you what it's like to be a female in a world previously dominated by men but welcoming to women and minorities. Click on her photo to hear how this former cheerleader breaks all the molds.
Between July and October 2021, Victor Albert (CRHS senior), talked with Kurt Merkle, Senior Software Engineer with Distilled Technology. He who shared his story with a FMHS engineering class (video below).
Mr. Merkle introduced Victor to his friend and associate, Steve Willoughby, Software Architect with Pratt Miller (right photo). In addition, Victor talked with two engineers with Arrival, Steve Polzien, Design Engineer/Mechanical Engineer (left photo) and Dr. Theo Ampatzidis, Composite R&D Engineer (video above).
Theo from Arrival.mp4Dr. Theofanis Ampatzidis "Theo," Composites Engineer at Arrival, talked with CRHS senior, Victor Albert, about studying applied mechanics (composite materials science) in Greece and working in research and development for Arrival, which designs and makes electric buses and trucks (headquartered in London, but planning 31 microfactories in places like Charlotte and Rock Hill by 2024).
Dr. Ampatzidis stresses how important it is to be kind and how to find such a work environment. He highlights his experience with Formula Student, which is Europe's biggest educational motorsport event. It challenges engineers to design, build and compete as a team with their own single racing car. The annual event run by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) attracts 95 teams representing universities from all corners of the globe.
Kurt Merkle, Senior Software Engineer at Distilled Technology, LLC, shares his experience as a mechnical engineer and software developer. You can read about his background on the Distilled website. Click on his photo to watch the video.
Matt Bramblett, Principal Engineer
Hart & Hickman, PC (H&H) provides a broad range of environmental consulting services.
Mr. Bramblett's degrees: Bachelor's Atmospheric Science, Weather Forecasting (minor in Math) from UNC Asheville & Master's Agricultural & Biological Engineering from Clemson.
H&H hires people from these four types of Bachelor’s and/or Master’s programs:
Environmental Engineering
Geology
Environmental Science
Biology
These professionals can do environmental consulting, but only those with licenses can sign off on reports submitted to state and federal agencies. Therefore they lean towards hiring environmental engineers and geologist because those degrees lead to licensure. H&H is a very technical company focused on quality and problem solving. They use many practical applications for math and science, such as collection and analysis of environmental data, to evaluate Brownfields and other sites for contamination and exposure risks.
Mr. Bramblett shared his experience and advice with Fort Mill HS students in Mr. Wesley Gray's Environmental Science class. Here is the video.
BUSINESS, FINANCE
Tamara Osborne went to Central Piedmont Community College to learn about event planning. She had her own wedding planning business and worked at Queens College as Director of Events before starting with Fort Mill School District, where she oversees the use/rental of the many different FMSD facilities. She talked with NFHS Junior Carly Jacobson, who is interested in wedding planning. Watch the interview and learn about being an event planner.
Bryan Johnson, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Aria Care Partners, spoke with Nathan Livingston at Nation Ford HS about his 25 years in medical industry sales. He shares the sales techniques that he has studied and implemented and talks about what really matters when selling solutions to problems for clients. Aria is the leading provider of onsite ancillary medical services for skilled nursing facilities and their residents/patients. They deliver dental, vision, and hearing services and insurance solutions.
Watch their discussion to see if sales might be a good career for you. These are the two books that Mr. Johnson recommends.
Denis Arnautovic is a successful real estate broker and general contractor with his own company called DA Properties. He started his career by fixing up his own home and eventually realized the value of having his real estate license. He now works with people who want to buy, sell and invest in property. Denis shares how students can get started and learn and how important it is to network, build relationships, and take care of customers. He is interviewed by Terrence and Emma from FMHS and Katherine from CRHS. Watch the video.
Katelyn Jensen is the Marketing Manager for the new Piedmont Medical Center hospital in Fort Mill. She started her career in broadcasting and moved into healthcare marketing, which combines her love of medicine and story telling. She is interviewed by Nation Ford HS Senior Maggie Smith. Watch the video that makes you want to market something you love.
Gary Carrai, Executive Vice President with LPL Financial, has 30+ years of experience of providing strategic direction and helping financial advisors achieve success in the high-net-worth market. He is also an entrepreneur. He co-founded Fortigent, a company that provides performance reporting, research and practice management, and grew the company to support 100 advisory firms with managed assets of $75 billion in just seven years. His other experience includes working for NASDAQ and the Investment Company Institute (ICI), which is the leading association representing regulated funds globally. Mr. Carrai has a B.S. in Finance and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®). The CFA Program is a three-part exam that tests the fundamentals of investment tools, asset valuation, portfolio management, and wealth planning. He frequently speaks on the trends in wealth management at industry conferences. Watch as he is interviewed by CRHS student, Anand, and gives excellent advice.
Janet North has been with Edward Jones Investments for more than three years, and also has experience with Nucor, University of AL, and AFFLINK. She answers questions from six FMHS Finance Club members. They discuss what to consider when planning for a successful and happy retirement. Learn to to plan for your financial future by watching this video.
Suzanne Harnois, Assistant Vice President, The Springs Company, has a varied financial career ~ starting with 12 years in a public company (Duke Energy), 18 years in an accounting firm (BNA CPA Firm) and 5 years with a private company (The Springs Company). NFHS Sophomore, Gabriela, asks her questions about her education, work-life and advice she has for students. Ms. Harnois shares tips, like getting your CPA credential will help you get opportunities you might not otherwise and learning how to work with people and studying psychology is important.
Jason Collett is a human resources professional with nearly 30 years experience. He is currently the Head of People for Metabolic Living, which is a global health services provider. He has owned and sold multiple businesses, from lab services to breweries. He has served as a consultant and speaker to professionals in small and large businesses. He is writing a book and continues to be an entrepreneur. He offers advice on how to explore careers, and assess and acquire benefits (tangible and intangible) associated with various jobs/careers.
Watch the video of Fort Mill HS Finance Club members interviewing him.
WELDING
Ryan Rothacker is Commercial Dive Supervisor at MAC Enterprises, which provides under-water welding and other services to the fishing industry in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. Ryan shares how he discovered this unusual job that "fits his personality" and what it's like to work in Alaska, be on call 24 hours a day certain months of the year, including winter which is their busy season. He talks about the training involved and going where the work is. CRHS Senior, Cade, interviews him to understand the lifestyle choices in the field of welding. Watch now.
ARC Services hosted eight FMSD students, who have taken dual-enrollment welding classes at York Technical College. They talked about how you get started and the various career projects and paths available, as well as how ARC will train you based on your skill level when you take their initial welding test. Most people start as helpers and work their way up. ARC helpers, welders and pipe fitters are all contract employees and travel to projects some number of months per year working 50-80 hours per week depending on the project.
Learn more by watching the video of the visit to ARC in Rock Hill.
Jared's presentation (2021-02-09 at 13:15 GMT-8)Jared Hilton, Vice President of Southern Elevator Company, shares his experience and excellent advice on how to excel in the field of welding. He explains how much it can pay when you start out and eventually become the "best of the best."
AVIATION ~ MECHANICAL, PILOT, AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER
Current and retired American Airlines Aircraft Mechanics, Chris Cote and Ken Mehring, gave NFHS Junior, Ganel, NFHS Senior Garrett, and CRHS Senior Peyton a tour of the overhaul and line maintenance at the Charlotte Airport. They showed mechanic units accessible from the outside of the plane and the messages and more displayed in the cockpit. They shared their experience and advice for those who may want to obtain a Airframe & Powerplant certificate or "ticket." They also discussed military and civilian training paths the FAA oversees. Here is the video of Chris and Ken with the students.
Air Force Careers link
Civil Air Patrol Scholarships link
National Flight Academy application
AOPA, Industry & Regional scholarships link
Other aviation resources are available on this site under Students/Industrial & Engineering Technologies.
Brent Burcham is an Air Traffic Controller at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in Charlotte, NC. Seniors Ava and Carolena from Fort Mill HS interview him about his work as they are both considering their options in addition to being pilots. Brent shares his education in air traffic control and how he got the call from the FAA just six days after graduating and had to decide where he wanted to work with a matter of hours. Watch the interview.
HUMAN SERVICES ~ PSYCHOLOGY, SOCIAL WORK, FOOD SERVICE
An experienced practitioner/professor, Dr. Wickes has been on the faculty of several major universities in psychology, counseling and human service programs. Since 1993 he has practiced in counseling centers, hospitals, agencies, and other institutions. His private practice is in Rock Hill, SC.
Ball State University, Ph.D., in Counseling Psychology
Purdue University, MSE and BA, in School Counseling/College Student Personnel and Public Relations and Secondary Education in Social Studies
Dr. Kevin Wickes, Psychologist
Integrative Counseling Services, Inc.
He shared his thoughts and took questions from students in Mrs. Emily Merrill's CRHS Priniciples of Biomedical Science class. Watch the video.
Dr. Wickes serves patients with a wide array of mental health issues. "Depression/anxiety, addictions/substance abuse, conflict in interpersonal relationships, and other mental-health related issues are often signs of the destructive and dysfunctional ways individuals cope with life’s stressors. ICS is designed to provide, within the counseling setting, a safe and reliable climate for progress, growth, and change, in order to successfully navigate today’s challenges."
Megan O'Neal, Permanency Planning Supervisor, Dept. of Social Services, Youth and Family Services, Mecklenburg County, NC is interviewed by FMHS Junior, Sophie, who asked questions about the emotional aspects of working with children in difficult circumstances. Ms. O'Neal, who has 30 years of experience, shares techniques for managing these challenges and more. Watch the video.
Cassie Cribb, Family Services Caseworker and Patricia Buckson, Family Services/Community Partnerships Manager, at Carolina Community Actions Inc. Early Head Start/Head Start Program share their experience as social workers with Ash at FMHS in this video.
Jennifer Pongonis, Food Fanatic Chef, Certified Executive Chef (CEC), US Foods shares a delicious French-onion dip recipe while discussing the business of US Foods and her career as a chef in this food distributor and restaurant supplier business as well as hospitals, universities, movie sets and more. Watch her video as she will get you cooking!
Addison Skaggs, Ohio State University, Creative Director, talked with FMHS junior, Leah Oppel, about what it's like to work in both professional and collegiate sports marketing. She notes being a woman doesn't make you a victim, and she looks forward to growing into positions, such as athletic director, someday and have her master's degree paid for by her employer. She filled out 300 applications for an internship and kept the many rejections. She says: "It only takes one (yes)!"
Allison Skaggs, Creative Dir OSU.mp4