When you present someone with an opportunity—like giving a student the opportunity to excel with a class project, or by hiring a member of our community to a well-paying job—you create second and third opportunities for them, in regards to learning and advancement. Additionally, that person is then able to show another person the way forward and provide a leg up for someone else in need. When we help one person, we help a community, we help ourselves. Opportunity is a loaded word and one I don’t take lightly. I believe when someone is healthy because he has access to preventive medical care, he will have the opportunity to be productive in the workforce. After a student has worked hard to earn her degree, she will have the opportunity to seek out employment in a competitive job market using her skills and talents. These opportunities are not rare, but are created through investment in our citizens and in our community. Investing the State’s money in opportunities that would create jobs with competitive salaries in Washington County, as well as across the state, would make Tennessee shine across the nation.
