RACINE, OHIO — Southern High School juniors and seniors put their skills to the test on Friday, September 26, 2025, during a mock interview event held in partnership with Project RISE.
Guest interviewers included Sabra Moore and Darcy King of RPG Management; Tonja Hunter of RACO; Ashley Kasler of the Athens-Meigs County Farm Bureau; Heather Daily Johnson of Serenity Spa by Chicly Confident; Medea Loibl of OHIO Career Ready Campus (Aspire); Adrian Hartman of Rocky Brands; and Nick Hicks, SHS Gym Teacher. Each year we bring in new businesses to showcase the talented SHS students.
Students — including several FFA members — participated in both in-person and virtual interviews designed to prepare them for a variety of real-world interview formats. Participants were from Mr. Brian Allen’s English classes, Ms. Jenna Meek's work study, and Mr. Stout’s class.
Amy Robinson, Director of Project RISE, described the event as deeply rewarding.
“These students were really amazing. They answered the questions with confidence and conviction,” Robinson said. “I am so proud of all the students. They performed extremely well under pressure.”
Senior English teacher Brian Allen appreciated the wide variety of businesses interested in the program, stating, “It seems like this program gets better every year. We had numerous business owners and entrepreneurs from so many different career choices. It seemed like everybody took something out of it.”
SHS Principal Daniel Otto also emphasized the value of the experience, particularly the virtual interview component.
“Today’s job market requires flexibility, and virtual interviews are becoming more and more common,” Otto said. “Giving our students a chance to practice both traditional and online interviews puts them one step ahead. I’m impressed with how they rose to the challenge and grateful to our community partners for investing in their success.”
Guest interviewer Tonja Hunter said she had fun meeting the kids and listening to their genuine responses.
“The students I had were well receptive to the questions I asked. They were open to feedback with gentle criticism,” Hunter shared.
Southern Local would like to thank all the guest interviewers for their time and effort. The administration appreciated area professionals stepping up to help the students.
