The Lee County School District just announced a partnership with Coca-Cola Consolidated, designed to help students achieve their career goals.
Bernard McDaniel, superintendent of Lee County School District, said this partnership began at the beginning of the year and will last three years.
“We want them to dream big and see what possibility exist and so that’s a major part of this, and its another step in the right direction.”
According to McDaniel, the school district is no stranger to partnerships. The last one was with Pepsi.
“One of the supervisors reached out about the possibility of partnering with some activities with our career center," McDaniel said. "And that conversation led to, 'Why don’t we establish a full-time partnership?'"
The district says both parties will benefit from this collaboration – marketing on the company side and access to workforce opportunities for students upon graduating.
McDaniel further noted that it simply made sense for the school district to partner with Coca-Cola Consolidated, which has invested in the county and employs many of the parents of students in Lee County schools.
“Many of them leave us certified according to the entry level that is required for those respected industries," McDaniel said. "It could be automotive, technology, nurses’ assistants, cosmetology, pharmacology -- we were able to offer those."
Marquez Cain, the production supervisor with Coca-Cola Consolidated and a product of Lee County School District, said these types of partnerships are needed to ensure bright futures.
“For myself i want to set an example to give back to my community and hopefully the example i am trying to set our students in the future whatever platform they may have in their career path they will do the same thing," he said.
Cain said he is looking forward to more partnerships in the future.
“It’s a big win for the community; it’s a big win for the school district; it’s a big win for Coke Consolidated," he said. "So, it's plus for everyone.”
Coca-Cola has long supported many community organizations across Bishopville and the Palmetto State.
