The purpose of getting a high school and college education is to prepare an individual for the world after school—basically, it prepares you to get a job.

All the schooling you can get is definitely a good thing, but one of the best ways to prepare yourself for a job is to get a job.

It may sound weird, but it makes sense.

I went to Troy University for four years to study for journalism, but one of the most important parts of my academic career was my internship—the job before the job.

While my specialty is print journalism, I did my internship at a television station in Mobile, but that didn’t diminish the valuable experience I gained from that summer job.

Things like being on time, meeting deadlines, the pressure and fast-paced nature of being in a newsroom and dressing appropriately for the situation are just a few of the things that were instilled in me over that summer.

Sure, some of those things can be taught in a classroom or at home by one’s parents, but a lot of things are best learned, and sometimes only learned, on the job.

That’s one of the most important factors, I think, in the city’s Summer Youth Employment Program.

Not only will the program give the city’s youth something positive to do over the summer and keep them out of trouble, as well as help them make some money during the process, but it’ll also prepare them for the workforce that they’re striving to enter after the completion of their education.

The Summer Youth Employment Program will give the participants structure and instill in them the importance of responsibilities and other qualities that are crucial to being successful in the work place.

It’s unfortunate that every student who applied could not be selected for a summer job, but the sheer amount of students who applied is a good sign that the youth of Selma understand the importance of a job and by extension the opportunity that the summer jobs program provides.

I know that part of the reason every student who applied was not selected is because there was only enough money available to the city to hire a certain number of applicants.

It’s an understandable reason, but regardless of how many students the city can afford to hire, it’s a program that needs to continue every year because any amount of Selma’s youth that can be employed is a significant number.

It’s a program and a trend that needs to continue each year so the youth of Selma can continue to obtain the skills necessary to become the leaders they are capable of being.