Jacob Meseke | editor in chief
Four WHS students competed in the Job Olympics in Manhattan before spring break.
According to special education teacher Lance Fuller, the Job Olympics is a competition for special education students from area high schools to compete in up to four job skill and independent living skill events.
Teacher Lance Fuller poses with Cherry and Schmitz. 
Schmitz, Higby, Cherry and Kershaw pose after competing in the Job Olympics in Manhattan. 
Kershaw participates in a job interview. 
Cherry competes in laundry folding. 
Higby competes at Job Olympics. 
Higby competes in stocking. 
Schmitz competes in laundry sorting. 
Schmitz competes in shredding. 
Schmitz competes in coin recognition.
Wabaunsee High School had four participants: junior Anthony Cherry, freshman Rylee Higbee, and sophomores Mercedes Kershaw and Canyon Schmitz.
The Job Olympics is a great opportunity for these students to learn outside of the classroom.
“I believe it provides an opportunity for our students to get real-life experience outside of the classroom in job skills, life skills that will benefit them going forward. It also puts them in a public setting not only with peers but in a setting that resembles a real life situation that shows off their skills and can improve their comfort around others,” Fuller said.
The students got the chance to interact with students from other schools competing in the Job Olympics. They also practiced the skills leading up to the competition.
Cherry competed in vacuuming, folding towels, sorting silverware and wiping tables. Higby competed in gift basket assembly, stocking, sorting mail and folding towels. Kershaw competed in job interview and thank you letter writing. Schmitz competed in shredding, silverware sorting, laundry sorting and coin recognition.
“The students really enjoy the interactions with peers from other schools, but they also enjoy performing the different skills that they have been practicing at school. There is some competitiveness to it as some understand that these are events that are judged based on speed and accuracy,” Fuller said.
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