Eagle Manufacturing’ s Chris Townsend( left) and Laura Hammack with student employees Joseph Denison( center) and Chris Grimes.
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laser-engraved marketing materials for clients that include Duke Energy, Faurecia, and Brown County Music Center. Hammack said the business hoped to return profits to its student employees within five years but fast-forwarded to that point within just two. Chris Townsend, instructor and adviser at Eagle Manufacturing, said the high school’ s fouryear engineering pathway had enticed a mere 28 students when he arrived five years ago; today’ s numbers are closer to 130.“ Our students clock in, wear badges, work paid internships over the summer, and will just be ready when it’ s time to be out in the real world,” Hammack said.
Preparing Brown County students for life after high school also includes very intentional exposure to job opportunities available in the local region. And while pursuing a 4-year degree is a path an increasing number of local students are choosing, Hammack also is fostering a culture that celebrates post-secondary plans that include 2-year technical degrees, industry certifications, and acceptance into labor unions.
28 Our Brown County • Jan./ Feb. 2020
While the county continues to struggle to attract or retain young families, the increasing population of residents age 55 and up is one of the community’ s greatest assets, Hammack said. That group is making itself readily available for volunteering within the schools, mentoring students, as well as tackling tough community problems that trickle down into school problems, she said.“ Our county and town are working with us so beautifully. There’ s a momentum like I’ ve never seen. No one is shying away from our issues,” Hammack said.“ We’ re definitely all in this together.”
Hammack’ s excitement and optimism for the district and its students is palpable. Today, she proudly points to successes including the district’ s balanced budget, an increasing number of students from surrounding counties who are transferring into Brown County schools, and the fact that graduates now have solid plans that begins the day after commencement.
She describes every day that she gets to fight for her students’ future as a gift.“ Of course there have been hard times, and of course there will be hard times ahead,” said Hammack.“ But we’ re a family. We stick together.” •