Southern Gap High School launches its first Industry Luncheon, connecting students with local professionals and career opportunities in Southwest Virginia.
What does your future look like?
For students at Southern Gap High School, that question can feel a long way off—but the school’s new Industry Luncheon Series is helping students start thinking about their futures now.
The first-ever Industry Luncheon welcomed Pete Savage, Jessica Savage, and Chris Viers of West River Conveyors, who spent time with students sharing their experiences in education, their career journeys, and the opportunities available right here in Southwest Virginia.
West River Conveyors is a leading manufacturer and supplier of conveyor equipment and solutions for the mining industry. With its roots in Southwest Virginia, the company has become a recognized benchmark for innovation, manufacturing, and career opportunities throughout the region.
Rather than simply talking about jobs, Savage and Viers shared the personal paths that brought them to where they are today. Students heard about the decisions, education, experiences, and opportunities that helped shape their careers—and learned that there isn’t always one straight path to a successful future.
For SGHS students, those conversations can make career possibilities feel more real.
“I enjoyed hearing about career opportunities right here in Southwest Virginia and learning about potential internships close to home,” said SGHS student Reid Stiltner. “It gives me a chance to see if I’m really interested in a career before I head off to college.”
That opportunity to explore careers before making major decisions is one of the goals of the Industry Luncheon Series.
Southern Gap High School hopes to use these luncheons to expose students to the wide variety of industries, businesses, careers, and educational pathways available throughout Southwest Virginia. By connecting students directly with professionals, the school hopes to help students discover possibilities they may not have considered—and understand that a successful career doesn’t necessarily mean leaving home.
The message is simple: there are opportunities here.
Whether students are interested in business, manufacturing, technology, healthcare, education, skilled trades, entrepreneurship, or another career field, the Industry Luncheon Series is designed to help them learn what those careers actually look like and what it takes to get there.
And sometimes, the best way to figure out what you want to do is to start by meeting someone who is already doing it.
Southern Gap High School is looking for additional local professionals and businesses interested in sharing their industries, career journeys, and experiences with students. Community members interested in participating in a future Industry Luncheon can contact Megan Wolford at [email protected] for more information.
The future starts with a conversation—and SGHS is giving its Eagles plenty of opportunities to start talking.
