Submitted photoThomas County School Superintendent Dr. Lisa Williams, left, and TCCHS Principal Trista Jones, right, congratulate Brad Ramsey from Thomasville Toyota on the business being named BEE Partner of the Year.

Thomasville Toyota has been named Thomas County School System’s BEE Partner of the Year for 2020 – 2021. The Business and Education Exchange (BEE) Partner of the Year is chosen from the outstanding BEE Partners who work with Thomas County Schools to strengthen the link among schools, businesses/industries, and the community.

“Each BEE Partner makes a lasting impact on the lives of Thomas County students and staff, and we are all better as a result of these relationships,” said Erin Rehberg, coordinator for Thomas County Schools digital learning and media services. 

Said Dr. Lisa Williams, superintendent of Thomas County Schools, “Though the types of our partnership activities vary greatly, the common goal of all of our partnerships is the improvement of educational experiences for our students, and because of this our students’ lives are enriched in ways that would never be possible without the help of our BEE partners. We are very appreciative of the support that Thomasville Toyota has provided to our system for many years and in a multitude of ways.”

Thomasville Toyota impacted close to 200 students and/or staff members during the 2019-2020 school year. Thomas County Central High School nominated Thomasville Toyota for the distinguished BEE Partner of the Year Award.

“Thomasville Toyota is unique because the business works hand-in-hand with our CTAE programs to ensure we are teaching a curriculum that will benefit students who pursue a career in automotive technology,” TCCHS Principal Trista Jones said. “The business serves on our CTAE Advisory Committee to help guide our decisions and give feedback on how to make our program stronger for the students.”

Brandi Miranda, TCCHS Work-Based Learning (WBL) and Youth Apprenticeship Coordinator, praised the business for allowing multiple students to shadow on the Annual Job Shadowing Day providing hands-on experience for the students.

“The local Toyota dealership benefits our students most by hiring several through our Work-Based Learning program,” Miranda said. “It is challenging for students to find jobs related to their career pathway, but Thomasville Toyota is always willing to give our students the opportunity. They train them giving them a valuable skill set to start them on their career. If students choose to stay with them, they pay for their mechanic certification which encourages them to continue learning. It is a win-win situation.”

During these challenging times, many businesses are not hiring or cutting employees so students struggle to find jobs. Thomasville Toyota requests resumes because they want to hire students from TCCHS.

“We have built a strong relationship with this partner, and they have made various contributions this school year and past years,” added Miranda. “We look forward to continuing to strengthen this partnership which benefits our students greatly.”