By Mike Hutchens
Union City Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–Martha Townes is Purple and Gold through and through.
And proud of it.
“Working for Union City Schools is all I’ve ever done … but why would I want to work elsewhere when I work for and with the best,” Townes rhetorically asked while preparing for her 31st year as a guidance counselor in the UC School System.
“I’ve honestly never looked at going anywhere else. There’s been no reason to because I’ve worked with and around the greatest and most positive people.”
A 1980 Union City High School graduate who married a fellow Tornado (husband, Bill) and has both parents and grandparents who attended UC schools, Townes truly has been born and raised and thrived under the Union City education umbrella.
It led to a long and rewarding career – one that has allowed her to educate many students about college and career possibilities after graduation.
“I really enjoy helping my seniors and getting them all the options to find what is the best fit for them,” claimed Townes, who spent 27 years in the same position at UC Middle School. “A lot of them don’t know there are other options out there for them besides college and work.
“With the Tennessee Promise and Hope Scholarships and vocational and technical schools, there are several to choose from. For the kids from families that are financially strapped, there are community colleges that give them the opportunity to get two years of the basics out of the way and remain debt free before deciding if they want to continue on and pursue another degree after they get an associate’s degree.”
Townes, who noted that technology and testing have seen the most changes during her tenure in the guidance field, meets with the coming year’s seniors and their parents early in the school calendar to lay out options and open a communication dialogue.
“Every parent expects different things and I give them all folders early with options and choices their children have,” she said. “I try to encourage them to pick a dream school or career, then pick another one (maybe closer to home) as a second option.
“Another thing I encourage them to do is pick a subject they’re good at and try to find a career where that subject is included. If they do that, they’ll be happy going to work every day as an adult.”
A top-flight education – including high scores on the ACT – has long been priority No. 1 at UCHS and Townes noted one particular incentive for goal-oriented students.
“If any one of them makes 21 on their ACT, our principal (Jacob Cross) gives them a $100 bill on the first day of their senior year,” Townes said. “It’s a program (UC Director of Schools) Mr. (Wes) Kennedy started when he was principal. Mr. Cross has continued it. This year, we have 58 seniors who’ve accomplished that goal.
“And while everyone might not be capable of making 21, if a student improves their ACT score by three points from the first time they take it, they get $100 on the first day of their senior year. It’s not a bribe. It’s a reward for their efforts at getting better and making improvement.”
Townes said she gets the greatest joy out of graduation night, recalling last year when she “high-fived” every one of the school’s seniors before they walked the line.
“I was so proud of all of them because of how hard they’d worked and how they battled through different struggles to reach their goals,” she insisted. “I felt really good about that group and getting to know them and their parents.
“It was exciting and gratifying for me to see them walk across the stage because I know they’re going to be successful. We have really good kids at Union City and they typically make the best choices.”
Maybe among them was a Tornado for life … just like Townes.
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