Bulloch County Schools celebrated the aspirations of eight high school seniors who plan to pursue careers in education during a special Future Georgia Educators Signing Day ceremony earlier this month. 

The April 3 event was organized by the school district’s Career Technical & Agricultural Education program, according to a release from Hayley Greene, the school district’s director of Public Relations.

The ceremony honored students from Portal, Southeast Bulloch and Statesboro high schools. The eight seniors, many of whom completed the district’s Early Childhood Education and Teaching as a Profession career pathway courses, committed to attending post-secondary institutions to major in education. Representatives from local and area colleges and universities joined the celebration along with district faculty members who teach Technical & Agricultural Education pathway courses.

“This event recognizes our students’ commitment to shaping the future through teaching,” said Bethany Gilliam, director of the Technical & Agricultural Education program. “Our career pathways provide students with both classroom instruction and hands-on experiences, helping to build a strong pipeline of future educators for Bulloch County's and Georgia's schools and communities.”

The district’s partnership with the Professional Association of Georgia Educators, local post-secondary institutions and other education stakeholders supports efforts to identify, recruit, prepare and retain the next generation of Georgia teachers, the release stated.

This year’s honored Future Georgia Educators include:

·  Bailee Brown, Portal Middle High School – plans to attend Georgia Southern University to become an elementary school teacher.

·  Makayla Jones, Portal Middle High School – plans to attend Georgia Southern University to become an art teacher.

·  Katie Gardner, Southeast Bulloch High School – plans to attend the University of Georgia to become an elementary school teacher.

·  Addie Sherrod, Southeast Bulloch High School – plans to attend Georgia Southern University to become an elementary school teacher.

·  Rehana Adams, Statesboro High School – plans to attend Georgia Southern University to become an elementary school teacher.

·  Kassidy Littles, Statesboro High School – plans to attend Georgia Southern University to become an elementary school teacher.

·  Kalen McNeil, Statesboro High School – plans to attend Clark Atlanta University to become an elementary school teacher.

·  Clara Riley, Statesboro High School – plans to attend East Georgia State College to become an elementary school teacher.

“As Bulloch County Schools continues to expand its CTAE offerings, events like this signing day highlight the district’s dedication to investing in students and building a future workforce,” Greene said.