Give Work A Chance Education Leader of the Month: Nathan Tongel
LSHS CTE Instructor, Nathan Tongel (left), is pictured with principal, Eric Puryear. {Contributed photo}
On February 2nd, Nathan Tongel, a Career and Technical Education (CTE) Instructor and liaison for Lexington Senior High School (LSHS) and Davidson-Davie Community College along with area employers, hosted a career fair in the LSHS gymnasium. Approximately 1100+ students from the 8-12th grades were able to interact with representatives from 54 different companies and training institutions.
It’s so important to calibrate the aspirations of our youth to real needs of our employers. Knowing this is why I’m delighted to announce Nathan Tongel as the Give Work A Chance Education Leader of the Month for connecting employers with students.
Tongel exclaimed, “It’s a nonstop job helping kid
Additional comments from Tongel:
If you count all of the departments that DDCC and Lexington City brought then we had 54 different organizations represented. I count them since they represent totally different career areas.
Approximate numbers were around
240 8th graders
300 9th graders
230 10th graders
180 11th graders
160 12th graders. This is not exact count since I didn’t have students check in.
Overall, I’ve had very positive feedback from participants. They said our students were interested and asked good questions. I have several prospects for future internships and employment opportunities. Several employers would like to participate in a hiring fair for summer and full-time work.
Students are actively talking about their future and all the possibilities.
Two young ladies want to take college classes next year and were inspired by the career fair
Tongel’s service attitude and enthusiasm is palpable and he inspires students to want and do more with their life. By connecting students with local employers, early and often, many will not have to move away to find viable job options and will be prepared for the next stage of their lives. Most importantly, area employers whose tax dollars fund our schools, continue to grow and advance our area. If more schools connect students with area employers early and often, they will be able to make better life decisions and clear up the future fog and have more clarity on the direction and purpose of their lives. Career fairs and education leaders like Nathan Tongel definitely help give work and students a better chance!
If you would like to submit a school or a leader who is going the extra mile for our students, please send me a recommendation letter at joelskilltv@gmail.com
