The Explore the New Manufacturing Program announced today that Kendall Snodgress has received special recognition with the awarding of the Emerging Elite in Manufacturing award for her work in the classroom. A Calhoun County Middle High School student, Snodgress has excelled as a leader in her Calhoun Empowerment courses. Snodgress will receive a $500 award designated for future educational advancement and endeavors. She will also be presented with a commemorative wooden plaque and gift basket featuring products made in West Virginia. Procter & Gamble Company, a Gold Patron, along with Technimark, a Bronze Patron, are sponsors of the 2022 awards.
“I met Kendall when her class from Calhoun Middle worked with the Belle Chemical Company in the What's So Cool About Manufacturing? program,” recalls Jason Lloyd, Process Automation & Controls Engineer at Belle Chemical Company. “The class was running their own production, taking pictures and filming employee interviews under Kendall's leadership. Prior to the interviews, we had a warmup discussion. This is where I learned that Kendall’s communication skills were well above that of a 6th grader. If you were to close your eyes, it would be easy to think that you were talking to a well-spoken industry professional.” Lloyd adds, “Equally impressive was Kendall’s leadership, ensuring that the different elements of the production (video, photos, sound, lighting) were taking place according to plan. It was a pleasure for our company to witness this kind of leadership happening at a 6th-grade level.”
Launched in 2020, the Emerging Elite in Manufacturing and Outstanding Industry Educator awards celebrate the skills and dedication of students and educators across West Virginia. "I spent time with Kendall on the set of Calhoun County Middle School’s video production. It took little time to realize that she is extraordinarily talented and poised,” said Program Director Monica Cross, who oversees the Explore the New Manufacturing Program on behalf of the West Virginia Manufacturing Association Educational Fund’s efforts to create student awareness and excitement about careers in manufacturing and the training opportunities for these positions in their local areas.
The EMERGING ELITE IN MANUFACTURING awards recognize West Virginia high school students who have excelled in manufacturing-related technical education and STEM courses. Each awardee demonstrates workforce-ready technical and communication skills critical to successful employee performance.
Snodgress’ award is part of Explore’s Emerging Elite in Manufacturing and Outstanding Industry Educator awards. Profiles of all award recipients will be available on the Explore the New Manufacturing website after they have been announced. https://www.exploremfgwv.com/awards
