CELINA-The Clay County School System recently recognized Jermaine McElvain and Riley Edwards for their efforts to become Grow Your Own apprentices through a program beneficial to all involved.

McElvain and Edwards are both current educational assistants working on their degrees to become full-time teachers through the Grow Your Own program.

While McElvain works at Clay County High School and Edwards does the same at Celina K-8, they are simultaneously full-time students at University of Tennessee Southern (UTS).

Tennessee’s Grow Your Own program has supported partnerships between colleges and universities and local school districts to provide innovative, no-cost pathways to the teaching profession and will continue to build pipelines of qualified teachers and school district professionals, who work as apprentices while completing their college education. 

“Clay County Schools is proud to be a Grow Your Own partner and support these local apprentices who are earning their degree in teacher education,” local officials said.

DOUBLE DUTY-Jermaine McElvain (above, second from left) and Riley Edwards (pictured at right with Clay County Director of Schools Diana Monroe) are working as educational assistants with the local school system and going to school to become teachers through the Grown Your Own program.  The two were recently celebrated by Monroe and other school staff. (photos submitted)