CHARLOTTE — For the first time ever, West Charlotte High School is offering a swim class to help address a big need, and some students are now getting jobs out of it.
It’s part of a new partnership with the YMCA of Greater Charlotte, and Channel 9′s Gina Esposito learned the inaugural class has been life-changing for everyone involved.
Some of these students at West Charlotte HS had never taken swim lessons before.
“A lot of them were first time in the water, a lot of them were scared to death to get in the water,” said one instructor.
Now, they’re swimming laps and holding their breath underwater.
“I learned how to swim sideways, on my back; I learned how to tread water, I couldn’t tread water [before],” said 12th-grader Jacobi Perry.
The swim class has been in the works for a while. The school is partnering with McCrorey YMCA, which provides the staff and equipment. Three days a week, the staffers travel about two miles to the school to give swim lessons.
“There have been a lot of things we had to go through to get here,” said Kennell Jackson, the aquatics director with McCrorey YMCA. “Everything in life comes with red tape and hard work, but it’s been worth it. Every day, we look forward to coming over and seeing what experiences we can give them.”
The Y says at the end of the course, students have the opportunity to get certified as a lifeguard or swim instructor. Perry says he’s already submitted his application to work at McCrorey this summer, adding that he’s already been helping some of the younger kids.
“It made a good impact, it made me a better person to learn from all these people,” Perry said.
WCHS says the class will only be offered int he spring semester because it leads into summer break. The school says more than 30 students have already signed up for next year, and they hope to see other CMS campuses launch similar programs.
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