POINT PLEASANT — Three Point Pleasant High School students have traded in their textbooks for pizza boxes at Gino’s in Point Pleasant.

Through the Community Based Work Experience (CBWE) Program, Dale Parsons, Jesse Walker and Brook Zink, have learned what working at the local pizza place is all about. Whether they are folding boxes or busing tables, these students are becoming educated outside of the classroom.

Instructor Barb Scarberry has been with the program for two and a half years. The program provides students in the course an opportunity to get training outside of the classroom.

Gino’s has been one of the businesses that has opened its doors to the students from the beginning.

Scarberry said Gino’s Manager Roxanna McDade and employee Nikki Holcomb did an “excellent” job working with the students.

“Both Roxanna and Nikki are great with the students,” Scarberry said. “They have been very supportive of this program.”

All three students spend an hour each day at Gino’s and stay busy with sweeping, cleaning, doing the dishes and folding pizza boxes.

Parsons, a senior at PPHS, says that nothing is too hard about his job.

“Everyone is really nice and I am treated like I really work here,” Parsons said.

He said that he enjoys the CBWE Program because he feels that it teaches students how a business is actually operated and also teaches them responsibility.

Scarberry said Parsons is a “super-fast pizza box folder” and Holcomb added that he really helps out the business.

This 18-year old, who has been involved in the program for a couple of years, has also worked at the Mason County Bus Garage and Paint Plus. He said both of them were just as fun as Gino’s.

Parsons is graduating this year, but he is undecided about his future plans.

Another student, Jesse Walker, is a big help around the place.

Walker said Gino’s is a fun place to work.

“Everyone is easy to get along with,” Walker said. “It’s also a lot of fun.”

He is a 17-year old junior at PPHS and has previously worked at the Mason County Animal Shelter. There, he enjoyed feeding and taking care of the animals.

Walker says he plans to get a job on the river and work for a boat company when he graduates.

Brook Zink, a freshman at PPHS, has learned a lot about the CBWE Program during her first semester and enjoys working at Gino’s.

“Brook is a really good worker and she is always up for anything,” Scarberry said.

Zink said she likes working and learning through the program.

“I like getting to leave school and come to work,” Zink said. She also works for one hour at Advance Design.

Zink added that she thinks she could out-work the boys any day of the week.

She is looking forward to working at the Pleasant Valley Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, because that is where she would like to work upon graduation.

“What is so great about this program is that the students are learning different skills and job responsibilities at each location,” Scarberry said.

Through the CBWE Program, students choose which business they want to work at, depending on their individual interest. Each student then is transported to and from that business everyday by bus. Scarberry added that she makes daily visitations to check on student progress.