Thanks to funding from the University of Alabama, students in Sumter County are getting a head start on preparing for a profitable career.

Livingston High School students can take part in an engineering academy. It helps them prepare for a future in the field.

"Advanced placement physics, chemistry, biology, anatomy/physiology and upper level math classes are needed for the Engineering Academy," said principal Eric Hines. "So, our students are given the opportunity to receive these classes and be prepared for them upon arrival to college. In a county our size, with our funding, we are not able to provide classes needed for the Engineering Academy."

Hines said this assistance from the University of Alabama allows Sumter County students to receive the same opportunity as students in other parts of Alabama, such as Mountain Brook, Hoover, or Tuscaloosa County.