MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Georgia Future Educator Signing Day was celebrated on Friday at William S. Hutchings College and Career Academy.

Students from the Teaching as a Profession Pathway signed their non-legally binding commitment to pursue a teaching career after high school.

The event was themed “In My Teaching Era,” and families and staff were present as administrators spoke about the achievements and students’ futures.

“They go and they get to have an immersive learning experience, and they get to see the good, the bad, the ugly,” instructor Jennifer Davis said. “They get to make connections with the students, and somehow, again, that impacted them to want to be teachers.”

We also spoke with Mckinlee Hall, one of the signees, about his hardships along the way.

“Plenty of hardships, plenty of hardships,” he said. “Growing up, it wasn’t always easy. I had a parent that was out on drugs and things like that, so it was kind of hard growing up, and I also have a twin sister, so I had to also take care of her, making sure she was getting to school everyday. I’m just proud of myself from coming along, being in an environment, placing the right people around me, and succeeding.”

Hall plans on majoring in secondary education at Fort Valley State University and coming back to Macon to teach.