Chestatee High School hosted the 2nd annual Lady War Eagles in Industry event on March 7, 2025, in the school’s Learning Commons. This career-focused initiative is designed to empower female students from Chestatee’s Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) Department who have demonstrated leadership, strong work ethic, and curiosity in their fields. Chestatee High School’s Workforce Development Coordinator, Holli Howard dreamed up this event for the females of CHS, stating.

“The world today is hard on females, especially our high school students. The media often tells them they must look a certain way or do something specific to be successful. My hope through this event has always been that our students who participate would be reminded of how special they are and how big their dreams and goals can be.  Allowing them to see and interact with business leaders in our community who look like them, who have overcome many of the same challenges they face and who are not only successful but also kind, caring and compassionate to other female leaders is icing on the cake. It is the War Eagle Way and it is what I want our students to graduate from high school knowing. It’s more than math, science and language arts to me…it’s making sure our students are life-ready when they leave our hallways.”

Mary Margaret Godly, Area Director of Young Life, kicked off the event by encouraging students to be resilient during life’s challenges and to be sure to surround themselves with positive, uplifting people that will cheer them on to accomplish their goals.

Students then participated in hands-on learning experiences through female-led industry sessions, offering valuable exposure to real-world careers. Participants engaged with industry professionals, gained insight into diverse career paths, and developed essential workforce skills.  A concluding panel discussion and lunch allowed students to network and learn from female leaders across various industries through a Q&A session.

A special thank you goes out to the female industry volunteers who partnered with Chestatee High School to make this event possible. Professionals from Young Life, Peachy Pine Couture, Northside Hospital, Hall County Sheriff’s Office, Jacob’s Media, Carroll Daniel, Honeycomb Social, UNG, Double Cakes Bakery, Manes Hair Co., and Minga Farms shared their expertise and mentored students throughout the day through small group, hands-on learning experiences.

During the panel discussion, Amy Bray, Criminal Investigator with Hall County Sherrif’s office stated, “When I first entered this career field it was an industry mainly for males and now our department has many female investigators. Females have special skills and intuition that allow them to be very successful in this industry. Don’t be afraid to pursue your career passions, whatever they may be.”

CHS Alumni Patty Lawson of Minga Farms encouraged students, saying, “Stay open to your dreams and passions as you grow and be willing to change as you change, you don’t want to hate what you do every day!”

Micah Satterfield, Co-owner of Manes Hair Co. and a CHS Alum, reminded students that “it’s okay and often normal to start from the bottom and work your way up. It’s that growth that produces excellence in life.” 

This initiative reflects Chestatee High School’s commitment to empowering young women by providing them with the knowledge, mentorship, and experiences needed to thrive in their future careers and in their life.