Southern W.Va. Students Get A Look At Life After High School

Ninth and tenth grade students in five southern West Virginia counties will learn a life lesson this week that they won’t find in a text book. 

On Thursday and Friday GEAR UP Southern West Virginia will host two Commitment to Graduate events for students in Mercer, Monroe, Raleigh, Summers and Wyoming Counties. Organizers want them to graduate, but they also want to teach them how to prepare for life after they graduate.

“Gear Up Southern West Virginia prepares students for success and careers after high school by providing tools, support and experiences,” said Interim director Sheila Barnhart Womack. 

“We do that in a variety of ways, and we do try to focus on the entire educational community, including not only students, but also families and educators. Our goal really is to create a legacy of strength and resilience in this area of Appalachia,” she said.

But in a high-poverty region they also want participants to learn now how important the post-secondary steps are – including trade school, community college, vo-tech training, military service and traditional, four-year college. Otherwise, said Barnhart Womack, they’re likely to hit a salary ceiling.

“There’s a lot of research around, ‘Does getting a higher education degree or a certificate of some sort set you up for more success in the long run?’ And the conclusion, really is that, yes, it does,” she said. 

Without the additional training, Barnhart Womack said, “There’s only so far up that you’re going to be able to go in various companies. They’re going to expect some type of advanced training once you hit a certain point. So having a certificate, two-year degree, a four-year degree, something, is going to give you a leg up so that you can continue to advance and continue to earn more.” 

While money may not exactly buy happiness, she said, there are studies that show it does contribute to happiness.

“Being secure financially is essential to happiness, having your basic needs met is essential. And, you know, we live in an area of high poverty, and that is kind of a generational cycle that we see. So we’re kind of hoping to help our students break out of that a little bit,” Barnhart Womack said. 

Twelve high schools will participate in the programs, which are funded through the U.S. Dept. of Education.