Features Editor

Just like Punxsutawney Phil, many business leaders in the area also saw their shadow Wednesday.

The famous Pennsylvania groundhog saw his shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter. Hours later, Charles Henderson High School students visited area businesses and industries as participants in the Groundhog Job Shadow Day.

Deon Shipmon spent his day at Sikorsky Support Services, Inc. learning all about computers.

The CHHS senior plans to major in computer science or computer engineering at either Troy State University or Georgia Tech.

"I heard Sikorsky did a lot with computers and that’s why I decided to shadow here," Shipmon said.

The industry, located near the Troy Airport, services helicopters and helicopter parts from all over the world.

Basically, the high-tech industry is an overhaul, repair and modification center. Over the past two years, Sikorsky has manufactured Black Hawk helicopters.

In order to do such technical work, the industry uses computers. That made Sikorsky the ideal place for Shipmon to shadow.

John Rowles and Lisa Cook showed Shipmon the ropes, rather the computer cables.

Shipmon filled his notebook with information on networking, desktop person computers, cabling, administration of computers and troubleshooting.

Sikorsky’s public relations manager Tony Scott said Sikorsky is more than another industry to the Troy community.

Scott said SSSI believes in "staying active" with local schools, including Troy State.

"It’s important to us to stay involved with the community," Scott said.

SSSI has participated in the job shadowing program each year, in addition to the School-To-Work program.

"We’re a big advocate of the School-To-Work program," said Denise Bryan, human resources manager for SSSI.

She added, the company has programs for teachers, as well as students.