2025 Senior Prep Day

On Sept. 4, Corinth High School (CHS) hosted its fourth annual Senior Prep Day event, a day for seniors to interact with local professionals in preparation for their future. The day opened with a motivational speech by special guest CHS alumni Dr. Ron Patterson, president of Murray State University. Afterwards, seniors began their station rotation which included mock interviews, the Fab Life financial literacy awareness game and a college and career fair. 

The mock interviews were a common favorite session among the students. Each student provided their resume and then were interviewed in two separate 15 minute interviews with local professionals. It is only after the mock interviews that students have a clearer understanding of the importance of practice interviews. “Weeks leading up to the event, students tell me how nervous and anxious they are and Mrs. Marlar and I both have to reassure them it is going to end up being a great experience!” said Career Coach Kasey Atkins. “They worked really hard preparing their resumes and I could not have been more proud of the way our students carried themselves that day.”

The students agreed it was a valuable experience. “I had fun dressing up and having those interviews helped me understand what to look for in the future,” said senior Susan Sanchez.

Another station was the Fab Life financial game that gives students a sneak peek at the obligations and expectations of adult finances. “CHS Senior Prep Day is all about equipping our seniors with the real-world skills they’ll need after graduation,” said Career Coach Candace Marlar. “One of the highlights this year was Fab Life, an interactive financial literacy game that gave students hands-on experience in budgeting, career planning, and decision-making. It was a fun and eye-opening way for them to explore the financial realities of adult life.” 

Throughout the day, students enjoyed each station. “I learned a lot of valuable tools for future interviews. I like getting feedback so that I can work on some things for my next one,” said senior Zela Dalton. “I also really liked the Fab Life and I feel like it gave us what the future may consist of.”

The final station was the college and career fair. This unique experience lets students practice important soft skills such as shaking hands, making eye contact and communicating with adults while also introducing them to local business and colleges around the region. “What I liked about Senior Prep Day was the college fair because I got to see several Mississippi colleges that I didn’t know about until now,” said senior India Gardner.

This year, career coaches encouraged seniors to make extra copies of their resumes to drop off with potential employers who are currently hiring part-time. “I’m optimistic for the future of these young people,” said Kim Ratliff, City of Corinth employee and pastor of First Methodist Church. “They were ambitious, driven, and enthusiastic about moving into the future. I really enjoyed meeting and interacting with these young men and women.”

The students also learned how many career options are available in our area. “I was able to talk to a lot of people and it was a great experience,” said senior Xavier Young. “I was able to learn so much today and it opened my eyes to how many careers there are out there.”

Overall, students learned many valuable lessons during Senior Prep Day, including how to professionally interact with adults. “Students stand a little taller on Senior Prep Day,” said Atkins. “You can see the confidence building as the day progresses. It’s truly a joy to be a part of this day.”

Over 130 professionals from Corinth and Northeast Mississippi volunteered for this event and helped lead the stations. This group represented 19 colleges, 45 businesses and industry professionals and five branches of the military. Corinth High School is thankful to have such a supportive local community. 

If a local business/industry is interested in hosting a student(s) for a tour, shadow experience, paid/unpaid internship opportunity or would like to visit campus to speak with students, please reach out to our career coaches on Instagram and Facebook @corinthcareercoaching.