2021 Business Partners of the Year
In March, seven local businesses were recognized for their assistance in bridging the gap between education and employment. The BB2C 2021 Business Partners of the Year were identified based on their involvement with one of our specific programs, projects, events, or initiatives. Winners were announced at the Marietta Area Chamber of Commerce Dinner at the beginning of March and awards were presented during our annual Education After Hours event at the end of March, which was sponsored by Memorial Health System.
Our Career Mentor Business Partner of the Year was new to our program yet took on the responsibility of mentoring our middle school students with enthusiasm. Collin Yost, owner of Roseland Coffee, goes above and beyond by consistently meeting with students and welcoming additional mentees into his group when asked.
Our Job Shadowing Business Partner of the Year has continuously welcomed every 10th through 12th grade student interested in entrepreneurship or small business to show what a workday looks like. Laura Pitlyk, owner of Wit & Whimzy, has been a long-time supporter and participant in BB2C programs and events.
Our Internship Business Partner of the Year has a long history of offering internships to our students, but had to take a break when COVID-19 struck. As soon as she was able to, Diana Davis from Dimex reached out to get internships going again for high school students interested in manufacturing.
Not only was our Discover Days Business Partner of the Year instrumental in starting our Discover Engineering Day, they’ve also been involved in numerous other events and programs over the years. Thank you to Power System Engineering for always being willing to go above and beyond to ensure our students have fantastic engineering experiences.
Our Makerspace Business Partner of the Year helped us expand our woodshop and laser space by providing us with funds to purchase our new CNC router. Huntington Bank helped us show the community how tech and wood working can bring creative ideas to life. Their support also means that we can expanded the contract work we can offer to small businesses and community members alike.
Our Small Business Incubator Business Partner of the Year is a joy to work with. Lori Sayre, owner of The Cleaning Bee, is open and receptive to becoming a better business owner. Her business is growing as she adds both clients and employees. She also supports our students who are interested in business ownership.
Our new BB2C Network Business Partner of the Year award highlights an organization that is helping us raise awareness about the importance of high school internship programs locally, regionally, and nationally. Congratulations to Rural Action, a partner leveraging their own strengths in tandem with ours to expand and highlight the good work happening between students and businesses in our region.
While the 2021 Business Partners of the Year awards were the focus of this year’s Education After Hours, BB2C also showcased our new Impact of Internship Report, co-authored by Rural Action. And we shared our 2020-2021 Annual Report. Thank you to all the businesses who support our students, our educators, our communities, and our mission of fostering relationships to inspire career choice. If your business would like to partner with us, please email us to explore opportunities.