By Cindy Adams

"Shawn Ratcliffe is my Ferdinand the Bull," Amanda Funkhouser said. "He will charge through anything, even if it's just to give you a simple hug."

She would know. Amanda and Judy Dow, both high school teachers at Wytheville Minnick, know their students. And not just a little. They make it their job to listen intently, scrutinize expressions, discern what sparks interest. And when they find something, it becomes a part of the curriculum. Tailored education. They understand this is a pivotal time in the students' lives. And the success of each one motivates them.

"By really getting to know our students, we can better help them refine their skills and interests and how those may fit into their future plans," Judy said.

For example, they know Shawn, aka Ferdinand the Bull, may work hard to focus, but he works equally hard not to let others down. He loves people and wants to take care of them.

This year, Shawn graduated with a standard diploma. Not surprisingly, he wants to work toward becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant, with the goal of becoming an EMT.

"He has a good heart," Amanda said.

Another one of their graduating students, Cody, will receive an Applied Studies diploma. While he has only been at Minnick for one year, his teachers quickly recognized his veiled interest and natural ability in all subjects, despite a challenging prior run at school.

"He came here quiet and seemingly uninterested," Amanda said. "But that changed, and it was great watching him achieve grade-level success in the classroom."

Cody has decided to study auto mechanics.

Both students and teachers made it to the finish line. Or maybe it’s the starting line.

Both Shawn and Cody will transition to post-graduate work with Job Corps, the nation’s largest free, residential training and education program for low-income young adults. A newly established relationship between Minnick Schools and Job Corps will help open future opportunities for students like Shawn and Cody who want to develop skills in their area of interest.

"Job Corps picks up where we finish," Amanda said. "It's a perfect fit for our students."

It's a bitter-sweet time of year when it’s nearly impossible to distinguish tears of happiness and sadness. They intermingle, just like an end and a beginning.

"I didn't think I would ever get here," Shawn said. When asked, "Then, how did you?" he quickly answered, "The teachers."

"But shhhh, don't tell them I said so," he added.