Corinth Seniors Prepare for Life after High School 2026

On Aug. 27, Corinth High School (CHS) hosted its fifth annual Senior Prep Day event, a day for CHS seniors to interact with local professionals in preparation for their future. The day opened with breakfast prepared by the CHS Culinary Arts students followed with an inspirational talk from Brittany Stansel, a human resources generalist at Caterpillar. Then, seniors rotated through three stations including mock interviews, the financial literacy game called Fab Life, and Fundamentals for the Future stations. Over 82 community members volunteered for this event and helped lead the three stations. 

The mock interviews were a common favorite session among the students. Each student provided their resume and then were interviewed in three separate 15 minute interviews with local professionals. After the interview, the professionals were able to give instant feedback to the students. Students will have an opportunity to meet with their career coach one-on-one to discuss their scores and feedback and to continue planning for their future post high school graduation.

“The mock interviews were very helpful for me,” said Brantley Green, CHS senior. “As someone who has never been through an interview, it was very beneficial to hear what types of questions they might ask and hear some good feedback!”

“My favorite part of Senior Prep Day was the mock interviews!” said Maya Gomez, CHS senior. “Being able to get different opinions and tips on how to improve my interview skills was very helpful for me.”

A third student agreed. “My favorite part was when we actually got to talk to the people for the interviews,” said Phil Burt, CHS senior. “I feel like that was extremely helpful because it can actually give you that real interview experience. The feedback that they give you is really helpful because it tells you what to work on and what to do better in a real interview.”

This unique experience lets CHS seniors practice important skills before they leave high school while also introducing them to local opportunities. “Senior Prep Day is designed to expose, prepare, and connect our seniors to opportunities available locally and to strengthen our future workforce,” said Candace Marlar, CHS Career Coach. “It bridges the gap between the students and community volunteers while providing a platform for potential employers to directly educate them on ways they can set themselves apart from other applicants.”

A new addition this year, the Fundamentals for the Future stations taught essential life skills, including how to sew on a button, count cash change, tie a tie, write a check, and practice table manners.

The Manners Matters station shared the importance of how you act and present yourself to others. “For the most part, students were familiar with the term, ‘manners,’” said Lindley Brawner, owner of Manners Matters. “When you hear that word, some immediately think of fancy or proper. Well, not exactly. Manners can be your attitude, how you treat others, kindness and table etiquette. It all overlaps!” 

Additionally, the manners station taught students soft skills that can make a difference. “I have three sons and as they have grown up and attended social events, various jobs, and school experiences, this required them to speak to people, make a positive impression and shake hands,” said Brawner. “These skills, along with table manners, gave them the tools they needed. Interviews don’t always happen in an office across a desk from someone. They can be held at a restaurant as well. The employer may be watching to see how you treat the waitstaff and how you handle yourself while eating.”

The tie station was a new experience for some students. “Only a few of the students knew how to tie a tie,” said Kimble Wilbanks, VP branch manager and loan officer at Farmers and Merchants Bank. “I think it always looks great for someone to wear a tie for their first interview. In some jobs, a tie may be required. The seniors were proud to know that they really could tie their own ties with just a little bit of guidance and encouragement! All of the students were well behaved and appeared ready and eager to step out in to their plans for the future.”

The sewing on a button station also received positive reviews. “Sewing a button helped prepare me for the future because it showed me that if I ever had to wear a dress shirt somewhere and one of the buttons came off, I can easily sew it back on my shirt instead of panicking about what shirt I’m going to wear,” said Burt. “I could save money so I won’t have to pay anyone to put it back on for me.”

The financial literacy game is always an eye-opening experience for students. “My favorite part of Senior Prep Day was getting to play the Fab Life game because it was cool to see some real life scenarios that made me think about budgeting my money,” said Brantley Green, CHS senior.

Another student echoed this sentiment about Fab Life. “I really enjoyed getting a realistic view at what I could be doing with real money--a perspective that I didn't think I'd have until I was an adult,” said Zane Parker, CHS senior. 

Preparing for the future was a big takeaway from the day. “FAB Life helped me prepare for the future by showing me all the little details that come with leaving home and becoming a grownup,” said Gomez. “A lot of responsibilities and bumps will happened during life and we always have to be prepared for them.”

Overall, the students learned many valuable lessons during Senior Prep Day, including how to professionally interact with adults. "One of the things I learned at Senior Prep Day is that it's easier to build a network of people if you put effort into it,” said Parker. “With the motivational speaker from Caterpillar and the mock interviews, I discovered that more people are able to help connect you with opportunities than I once imagined. For example, I ended up doing a mock interview with a lady that could get me a potential job shadow at PCStation!”

The day ended with lunch prepared by the CHS Culinary Arts students including pulled pork sandwiches, baked beans, coleslaw and banana pudding. 

Corinth High School is thankful to have such a supportive local community. “We absolutely could not host this event without our community support,” said Kasey Atkins, CHS Career Coach. “There are so many moving parts to this event and it means so much that we have so many volunteers who pour into our students each year. They offer their support through participating in mock interviews or in one of the other stations. They help guide students with beneficial feedback and helpful tips for the future.”