Eden Area Regional Occupation Program (ROP) presented The Business Person of the Year award to six East Bay business leaders during a board meeting at the Eden ROP Hayward campus. The award is presented annually to individuals who exemplify the partnership spirit between the business community and the Eden Area ROP. Each recipient provides support through a variety of work-based learning activities including classroom visits, work experience, donation of products and materials, internships, work-site tours, participation on advisory committees—providing insight into curriculum development and invaluable career advice to high school students.
The 2015 awardees are Mike Lepacek, Martin Auto Color; Ashton Simmons, Southland Mall; Francis Soloman, Elegant Creations; Ron Sharp, Alliance Welding Supplies; Sarah Richardson, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Department of Energy’s Joint BioEnergy Institute; and Dawn Shelton, Bio-Rad Laboratories.
Sarah Richardson, Postdoctoral Fellow, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Department of Energy’s Joint BioEnergy Institute, donated several hours to talk to students in Eden ROP biotechnology classes. Sarah is very passionate about giving back to her community and addressing students who are underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.
“One cannot underestimate the necessity of connecting education to career pathways in order to make it relevant to our students,” said Linda Granger, Superintendent, Eden Area Regional Occupation Program. “The success of Eden ROP has in large part been made possible by the over 150 business partnerships we have with our programs. The business leaders receiving this award have gone above and beyond to ensure that our programs enable our students to obtain an understanding of employment skills, responsibilities, and opportunities.”
To learn more visit the Eden Awards webpage.