HOB Guys With Ties welcome meat-processing professional

H.O. Brittingham Elementary School’s Guys with Ties club members recently participated in an engaging and interactive learning experience during a visit from guest speaker Brian Tatem of Hickman’s Meat Market.

Tatem, who is the brother-in-law of Julie Hickman, club advisor and school assistant principal, provided students with a behind-the-scenes look at the meat-processing industry. During his presentation, he introduced students to the specialized equipment used in the field and emphasized the importance of safety in the workplace, offering valuable, real-world insights into a skilled trade.

The visit also included a hands-on component that quickly became a highlight for the students. Participants had the opportunity to sample a variety of Hickman’s in-house sausages, including kielbasa, salami and jalapeño cheese. While many of the samples were crowd favorites, the extra-hot sausage sparked some mixed reactions among the group. 

Students added to the fun by creating their own nicknames for each sample and rating their favorites, turning the experience into an educational and memorable activity.

“This was such a unique and engaging experience for our students,” said Hickman. “Opportunities like this bring learning to life by connecting our students with real-world careers in a fun, memorable way. We are so grateful to Mr. Tatem for sharing his expertise and helping make this an experience our students will be talking about for a long time.”