By Hannah Caver
MOODY — Pike Road Mayor Gordon Stone spoke on the importance of higher education for the young people of Alabama during the Moody Area Chamber of Commerce’s September luncheon on Thursday, September 9.
Stone is also executive director of the Higher Education Partnership with a simple mission in mind: “To advocate the importance of higher education in bettering the lives of people in Alabama.”
According to Higher Education Partnership, Alabama expects to see more demand for employees with bachelor’s degrees or higher in the next decade.
Stone shared his story of growing up in Wilcox County, where people lacked hope for the future. Stone’s father had the opportunity to get a degree at Auburn University.
“I grew up in a family that was unique in that part of the world, in that I grew up with someone in my home, making sure I had an ambition to get an education,” Stone said.
Stone encouraged other community leaders to help motivate children to strive for higher education.
For more information about Higher Education Partnership, visit www.higheredpartners.org.