Hickory High School Students Explore New Careers in Summer Program

One of the facilities the students visited was the Blue Ridge Harley-Davidson facility in Hickory.

Mike DeRose, parts and service manager at the motorcycle repair shop, gave the students a tour of the service area. He told the students that the repair shop does not require any additional training to get started and that on-the-job training will be provided.

“This is true for any tech job, but if you’re good at what you do, you’ll make more money,” DeRose told the students.

One of the store’s general managers, Matt Butkovich, tried to convince students to work at Blue Ridge Harley-Davidson. He explained that many employees start out washing motorcycles. If they do a good job, they can move up to other positions.

When asked why the motorcycle shop invited students to tour the shop, Butkovich said, “Not every kid needs to go to college. Not every kid needs to get into debt or think that if you do some of these jobs, that’s the only career path you’re going to have. There are so many things you can do and not get into debt. You can advance if you get into the right company and do what you want to do.”

After the tour, students were asked how their experiences during the summer helped them learn more about their future career paths.

“I think that’s where I was most interested in being a motorcycle technician, the way they work on the bikes really caught my attention,” said Kashiva Freeman, a third-year student. When asked what attracted her to being a technician, she enthusiastically replied, “The money.”

Freeman said she was more interested in a career in the medical field, but said of working at a motorcycle repair shop, “I think it would be nice to learn different things instead of focusing on one thing my whole life.”

Alanda Johnson, career development coordinator at Hickory High School, has worked with the program at Hickory and Catawba County schools. She became the high school’s career development coordinator in January.

Johnson said it’s important for students to see employment opportunities other than those that require a four-year college degree.

“This program is important for students to learn about paths and what they want to do in life,” Johnson said. “Not all students want to go to a four-year school, not all students want to go to a two-year school. So they can learn a trade and come in, earn money while they learn, maybe get an internship or a practicum … that’s an opportunity that’s available to our youth.”

In addition to touring area businesses and colleges, students gained experience in manufacturing, health sciences, engineering and other fields using Paxton-Patterson labs. Hickory City Schools describes the Paxton-Patterson labs as having “state-of-the-art technology and tools that simulate real-world work environments, allowing students to engage in hands-on learning across multiple disciplines.”

Employers and facilities that have opened their doors to students include Catawba County Emergency Services, David E. Looper and Company and Sherrill Furniture.

Students also toured area colleges such as Catawba Valley Community College, Lenoir-Rhyne University, the Hickory campus of Appalachian State University and Winston-Salem State University to learn more about programs available to those interested in higher education.