MEMPHIS, Tenn.– It might be fall break, but school is in session at one major Memphis-based company as dozens of Memphis-Shelby County students took part in the FedEx Logistics Academy.
Around 30 Ridgeway and Cordova High School students descended on the downtown Memphis campus to participate in the program to help them identify their skills.
“Learning what their core values are, what are their abilities,” said Nicole Thomas who is the Marketing Communications Strategist with FedEx. “They’ve also had a session where they met with several of our team members who shared their career path and their career journey with them. So from IT and engineering and communications and marketing as well as HR and our people team.”
FedEx worked with Memphis Shelby County Schools to select the students.
“They really are interested not only working with a billion-dollar company but also learning more about logistics and also trying to keep some of that homegrown talent here in the Mid-South,” said Dr. Billy Walker II, MSCS Director of Student Affairs.
Cordova High eleventh grader Rodney Patterson said it’s been a unique experience.
“A multinational conglomerate, in the city, right here in Memphis, you know despite what you may see on the news, it in a way gives children, like myself and others, hope that we can rise above our current situations, our current living situations at that,” he said.
Patterson said he’s now re-inspired as he hopes to start his own business someday.
“It has reevoked that fire in me to be like, ‘ok I can build something like this,'” he said.
The academy was held for two days. This was the second time it’s been held. The students also enjoyed entertainment from the Grizzlies mascot and Grizz band Wednesday afternoon.