Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
Earlier this month, the Northeast Louisiana Delta Regional Jump Start Team held its first Jump Start Camp for high school ninth and tenth graders.
Thirty-two students from West Carroll Parish Public Schools, East Carroll Parish Public Schools, Richland Parish Public Schools and Delta Charter of Ferriday, Louisiana, participated in three days of activities, presentations and field trips which were designed to introduce them to high-wage, high-demand career opportunities in Northeast Louisiana.
On behalf of the students and their schools, I would like to thank the following institutions and people who helped make our camp such a success.
Louisiana Delta Community College at Tallulah and its director, Scott Cox, invited our campers to tour the campus to view nursing and other allied health demonstrations, the diesel mechanics program and welding expertise.
Thomas Crain, of Louisiana Delta Community College at West Monroe, allowed the students to try their hand at virtual welding in his state-of-the-art mobile welding trailer.
James Kirkham of Lamb Weston of Delhi invited our students to tour the sweet potato plant and presented a brief history of the facility. The tour concluded with the best sweet potato fries the kids had ever eaten.
On the second day of camp, the Mobile Oil Learning Unit arrived at Rayville High School and the students learned about the oil and gas industry from exploration to the end product.
Wayne Chapman of Citizen’s Progressive Bank shared opportunities in business and technology.
On the final day of camp, the students toured the Richland Parish Courthouse to observe public servants at work in the various offices.
Following lunch provided by Lee Harrell, Richland Parish Sheriff, the students listened to Chris Crawford and Latoya Byrd describe the duties of a deputy.
Orlando Logan and Billy Boren demonstrated proper fire-fighting techniques and guided the students on a tour of a Rayville Fire Department Truck and a Med Life Ambulance.
Mary Lynn Bruynincks led the students throughout Richardson Medical Center departments so that the students could observe the diverse careers that are required to operate a hospital.
The Jump Start Camp exposed the students to many of the high-wage, high-demand jobs that are available in Northeast Louisiana.
None of this would have been possible without the aforementioned individuals who shared their time and expertise with the campers. On behalf of the Northeast Louisiana Delta Regional Jump Start Team, I say, “Thank you, we appreciate your support.”
Georgia Ineichen,
Northeast Louisiana Delta Regional Jump Start Team Leader