GALLATIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — Do you ever look back on high school and wish you learned something more specific to a certain career path?

I wanted to talk about sports on the radio. My best break in high school was writing for the newspaper. It was great. Fun fact: It was actually where my love of features and human interest storytelling began.

However, I wanted more of a real-world experience. Gallatin High School students get that real-world experience in their cosmetology program.

It is a competitive program. That’s what Jennifer Grainger told me about what she implemented about three years ago. Grainger leads this program.

“They have to know how to talk to people, they have to know how to look them in the eye and shake their hand,” she said.

In their classroom, there are desks. If you take a look around the perimeter, it looks like any other barber shop or salon. There are sinks for washing hair, pedicure chairs and of course mirrors and chairs for hairdressing and coloring.

What impressed me the most was the community support. Members of the Gallatin Fire Department come and get haircuts.

“Community outreach,” one member said. “I mean, these are kids that we’re protecting, and hopefully they’re the ones that will protect us when we get older.”

This program also visited nursing homes to cut residents’ hair.

“I think they (the students) rise up every time,” Grainger said.

Have a positive story you’d like to share for Take Time to Smile? You can email me at [email protected].

She is wearing her husband’s legacy to raise money for Alzheimer’s research

I am so inspired by Sheila Gann’s love for her husband and her resilience. Anyone who has lost a loved one to Alzheimer’s knows how cruel this disease is – not only to the patient, but also to those who love and care for them. Mike and Sheila clearly had a remarkable love story, and she is now honoring it in the most beautiful way. Thanks to Forrest Sanders for sharing his story with us.

-Carrie Sharp