By: Hayden Taylor, Batesville High School Charter

EAST at Nettleton High School put together an outstanding event for Veterans Day, their annual luncheon which has taken place since 2019. During the event, students were able to hear the stories of veterans while enjoying a nice meal provided by one of their partners, Texas Roadhouse. Their generous offering allowed everyone in attendance to share in a well-prepared meal while giving honor to the men and women who have served our country throughout the past decades. All EAST students involved worked with a multitude of community partners to make this event a success. Some of their partners included media platforms like The City of Jonesboro, Region 8 News, The Jonesboro Sun, Jonesboro Right Now, and 10 other media outlets. On top of all the collaboration with these wonderful partners, EAST at Nettleton had the privilege of working with Farmers and Merchants Bank, First Community Bank, and Arvest to help fund the event. 

Various EAST students worked to prepare for the event by choosing songs, performances, student speakers, and veterans who could share their experiences during the event. The whole town was truly impressed by the event and its impact. Specifically Ella Barnett, a student at Nettleton High School, said, “The Veterans Day Program meant many things to me. It was a beautiful experience for all those involved whether a veteran or someone getting to participate in the program. It was incredible to see everyone come together for one good cause to honor the people who fought and have served our great country.” 

The impact of the event spread further than with just the students. Faculty member Craig Miller expressed his feelings over the event, stating, “I tell people all the time that our Veterans Day Program is the best thing we do at Nettleton. It honors our veterans and teaches our students the value of service and patriotism. It is extremely valuable from an educational standpoint. Through the years of doing the program I have seen our students sitting and learning about World War II from men who actually fought in the war. You can’t experience things like that from reading a textbook.” The whole EAST program was super excited to hear how much of an impact the event had on those in attendance.

Excitingly, the program received a wonderful letter written by one of the veterans, Christopher Tucker, who reflected on the event, writing, “The event was not only a beautiful tribute to veterans like myself, a former Navy Recruiter for northeast Arkansas, but also a testament to the outstanding work being done at Nettleton High School to honor our nation’s heroes. I have attended a few of these programs over the years, and I’m pleased to see that the event remains a staple in the community and continues to grow in attendance each year.” 

He continued to go on thanking all those involved in the preparation. Tucker ended it clearly by summarizing the feeling of many of the students, faculty, and community members that it truly is “the greatest day of the year.”