The Funky Banana enjoys a job shadow on Job Shadow Day

Cici shows off her new "I shadowed @ The Funky Banana" shirt

FEBRUARY 2, 2007 - Lexington High School student Cecilia Kee chose The Funky Banana for her "day in the workforce" due to her interest in the apparel/fashion industry.

National Groundhog Job Shadow Day is an academically motivating activity designed to giving students a unique opportunity to "shadow" a workplace mentor as he or she goes through a normal day on the job, and to provide the answer to the commonly asked question, "Why do I have to learn this?" The program invites students to see firsthand how the skills they learn in school relate to the workplace. Job Shadowing is led by the National Job Shadow Coalition and is supported though national sponsorship

TFB Store owner, Kristi Halsey, commented, "Job shadowing is also a great opportunity to showcase the apparel/fashion industry and all that it has to offer through hands-on learning. There is a growing need in local - and wider spread - job opportunities."

Cici works with graphic artist Will Ninness

Cecilia designed her bowling league a set of personalized team tees, made her own "I shadowed at The Funky Banana" shirt, a license plate, learned to press and trim, as well as some of the daily print work performed at The Banana.

This is a wonderful chance to expose more young people to our industry and to show them the career tracks and upward mobility available to them, the graphics and technological stance we support - is a forward, open-ended avenue," said The Funky Banana owner, Kristi Halsey. "It is the youth that are our upcoming workforce. We must show initiative, interest in what they are doing, and offer them direction."