For the past year student participants in Hallsville Independent School District’s Pathways Program have been hard at work at a number of different local businesses, including the Marshall and Hallsville locations of Cajun Tex, owned by Johnny Horne.
As a thank you for the hard work all six students that are participating in the program this year have put in, Horne hosted a celebration for the group Wednesday, rewarding each with an employee of the year award.
“This is really all about the kids,” Horne said. “They’re great.”
Transition School teacher Patty Gerald, the lead teacher for the Pathways Program, described the program as a way for students with special needs to learn real life skills, and useful career knowledge, to help prepare them for life after school, and making them more independent.
The program began four years ago when teacher Karen McNeely worked to create an additional full-day program for students 18 to 21, to prepare them to transition into life after public school.
Parents of local students with special needs advocated for the creation of the program as a resource for their children that offers them specific, useful skills to prepare for life after school. The program is also required to be offered by Texas state law.
“It’s important,” Gerald said. “It was really a voice for the students, to be a voice and advocate for them to say that they do matter, and they deserve to learn these skills.”
She added that the group works with her and a job coach, Patricia Keasler, who help to prepare them each day by teaching students how to cook their own meals, make their beds, do various chores and learn job skills at a variety of local businesses.
During the award ceremony Wednesday, each student participant was granted with a crown and an employee of the year award, before enjoying a snack of cookies and drinks, all provided by Horne.
“You guys are the hardest working employees I have ever had,” Horne said to the group during the ceremony.
Cajun Tex is one of the many businesses partnering with the program, with Main Street Café, Sonic in Hallsville, Gino’s in Hallsville, Silverpaws in Longview, Hallsville Outreach Center, and Coffee Cart also participating in the program.
April 25, 2021 at 12:00PM
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HISD Pathways Program students receive awards for work at Cajun Tex - Longview News-Journal
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