July 27, 2024

OCMS welcomes student intern

By Candra Brooks
Clarke student intern Tory Henry, right, helps OCMS events coordinator Cady Atwood (green shirt) and OCMS executive director Ashleigh Eckels fill bags for the Chamber’s ‘Sips ‘n Sweets’ event. Tory is spending the semester interning at OCMS.

Clarke student intern Tory Henry, right, helps OCMS events coordinator Cady Atwood (green shirt) and OCMS executive director Ashleigh Eckels fill bags for the Chamber’s ‘Sips ‘n Sweets’ event. Tory is spending the semester interning at OCMS. (OST Candra Brooks)

There’s a new face these days behind the desk of the Osceola Chamber-Main Street (OCMS) office - Tory Henry, a senior at Clarke Community High School.

Tory started her semester internship at OCMS on Jan. 22, and spends four to five days a week, for about four hours a day, working alongside OCMS executive director Ashleigh Eckels and OCMS events coordinator Cady Atwood.

Tory is learning how small businesses operate, how to promote them in different ways - such as through social media posts - and assisting with different OCMS projects.

“It’s just a cool opportunity to do an internship here with our school,” said Tory, who is excited to learn the ins and outs of small business and promotions.

“She’s great. We’re excited, [we’ve] got some fun projects planned to incorporate her into the business community,” said Eckels.

“We are so excited, and she is going to be a great addition,” agreed Atwood.

After high school, Tory plans to obtain a bachelor’s degree in business management, and said her internship will help steer her in the right direction, while providing real-life, hands-on experience.

Tory is taking online college classes through Southwestern Community College (SWCC). By utilizing the dual-enrollment opportunity, Tory will graduate not only from Clarke with her high school diploma in May, but from SWCC as well with an Associate of Arts degree.

She is undecided on where she will go to college in the fall.

In high school, Tory is involved in volleyball, basketball, track and softball, and is a member of the National Honor Society.

Other OCMS news

Two new members joined the OCMS executive board at the beginning of the year; Becca Kedley and Shannon Harris.

Kedley is the Director of Communications and Community Relations at Clarke Community Schools, and Harris is the Communications Manager for Clarke County Hospital.

More about Kedley and Harris will appear in a future issue of the Osceola Sentinel-Tribune.

Candra Brooks

A native of rural Union County, Candra holds a Bachelor's Degree in English from Simpson College and an Associate's Degree in Accounting from SWCC. She has been at the Osceola newspaper since October 2013, working as office manager before transitioning to the newsroom in spring 2022.