“I could see myself working at Mellott long term.”
The Mellott family has been giving scholarships since 1983. Paul Mellott, Jr. was in charge of hiring in 1993. He noticed on some of the applications that the applicant did not know how to spell their hometown names. Paul told his Uncle Mel that he was going to go over to the school and see if there was anything that he could do to add value for the students. He met with the school Superintendent who introduced him to Todd Hoffner, an 8th grade teacher. The theme of the program was the importance of an education. Paul would take a guest speaker such as; police troopers with K-9’s, nurses, lobbyists from D.C. and Annapolis, entrepreneurs, and farmers every other Wednesday to emphasize how important it was to take school seriously.
“I learned a lot, and it really changed my perspective on what I thought Mellott did.”
Todd was transferred to teach the 11th and 12th graders in 2005, and it was decided to take a different approach to the partnership. The senior class was invited to tour the Mellott campus and participate in mock job interviews. This approach allowed the students to understand what Mellott was doing in their community, experience what an interview was like, and possibly consider a career with Mellott. Also, the Mellott Values Based Leadership program was implemented. The students were required to present senior projects, not only as a requirement to graduate, but also apply one of our values to their project and have the chance to win one of five scholarships.
“The presentations were more in-depth and I learned more.”
This year Leslie Caldwell, Executive Assistant • Executive at Mellott, took over the planning of this amazing event for the first time. Leslie, upon reflecting on her experience had this to say, “As I began planning for this event, I became more amazed about the thought, effort, and every little detail that went into making this event successful every year.” Below are a few quotes from the faculty and students who were a part of the event this year:
“I always enjoy seeing students learn how many opportunities Mellott truly offers. It is impressive how much they continue to innovate and expand year after year. It’s also always nice seeing former students that have gone through this experience before becoming employees. Southern Fulton High School genuinely appreciates this real-world experience that they offer our students, as well as the time each of the employees at Mellott takes out of their schedules to do this for our school, and community.” Missy Barton, SFHS History Teacher
“This experience really gave me something to think about. I could see myself working at Mellott and moving up through the company. I like the diversity of jobs available and the ability to move up. I never realized the opportunities there.” Gavin Williams, SFHS student
“Most said their favorite part was their interview.”
“I never knew the extent of Mellott’s impact on our global community until I went on this tour. It is nice knowing that our students have a global workplace in our backyard, and there are a variety of jobs available. What spoke to me is how they take the time to know their employees. During the interview, it was important to them to get to know the student first. This meant a lot to our students. The feedback I got was very positive.” Wendy Ritz, SFHS Guidance Counselor
“I’ve been on this tour before. I was impressed with the growth of the company since then and all that we experienced this time.” Dustin Fischer, SFHS Technology Education Teacher
“The interview part was my favorite. They made me feel comfortable, and it made me realize that I’m going to graduate in a month. It is getting real.” Dillon Tritle, SFHS student
“This event plays an important role in preparing the seniors for real life job searches. The school administration and the students appreciated the Mellott employees volunteering their time to assist with this event. I especially appreciate all the help my colleagues provided to make this another successful year!” Leslie Caldwell, Executive Assistant • Executive at Mellott
