Leadership Team Learns About Business During Technology Day
April 2003

A Day to Study Technology High school students who are members of the South Shore-Marion County Youth Leadership Team toured NATCO at Flippin recently. Here, NATCO accountant David White (back to camera) shows a bundle of telephone cable to students (from left) Holly, Michael, and Ashleigh.

Fifteen ninth-grade students from Marion County schools spent most of a recent school day at NATCO in Flippin rather than at school. While guests at NATCO, the students began to learn what it takes to make the telephone and Internet services they enjoy become a reality, and what jobs in the telecommunications field are like.

The students attending "Technology Day" are chosen by their schools to be on the South Shore-Marion County Youth Leadership Team. As team members, they spend one day each month during the school year in a leadership activity. In the closing months, students meet with adult civic leaders in their communities, attend Technology Day, then visit a college campus and hear about life in the "real world" including job interviews.

At NATCO, several department heads such as Resident Engineer Doug Smith talked to the students about the work they do every day. Smith showed the students how NATCO maps its facilities by using satellite-referenced equipment known as a global positioning system (GPS). Plant Manager Steven Sanders Jr., assisted by Computer Specialist Mark Principato, demonstrated Internet services, including high-speed Internet and videoconferencing. Sanders also allowed the students to operate a type of tester that finds "trouble" in telephone lines and equipment. Supervisor Melissa Merkel discussed customer service work, such as answering questions, helping customers and selling telephone services.

NATCO has hosted the leadership team for the past three years. "We believe the students who learn about area businesses, such as ours, are much better informed about their own community and opportunities in their towns. These will be our future leaders, and we are glad to introduce them to telecommunications," Sanders said.