DRIVEN TO SERVE: Giving back where it matters most

We’ve all spent time in some form of classroom, and almost all of us can point to a teacher or two who made a difference along the way. That’s why there are few callings greater than supporting local schools and the educators who shape future generations.

Take, for example, our office in Decatur, AL, where TTL has proudly served as a Partner in Education for Priceville Elementary School since August 2024.

Through this program, our team – led by Project Administrator Miranda Runion and Project Engineer Jeni Jordan, PE – has has supported teachers and students alike. They have hosted coffee trucks for staff, served lunches to kids, and even created the “Bulldog Way Award” that recognizes students each month while helping form relationships far beyond the classroom.

Jeni said she believes being a Partner in Education is important for several reasons – especially now that such a large focus is being placed on workforce development to help increase labor participation rates. The solution, she believes, starts with K-12 schools.

“We need to help get the kids excited about learning,” Jeni said, “so when they move into middle school and high school, they will be receptive to learning about the different career paths available to them.”

That spirit of supporting young minds also is seen in our Valdosta office, where Project Administrator Lena Jones recently helped out with a visit to S.L. Mason Elementary School.

The trip supported the startup of the school’s Accelerated Reader program, which places books and learning resources directly into the hands of students.

It was a simple act meant to foster curiosity, confidence, and a love of reading at an early age.

And in Tuscaloosa, Alabama Business Development Leader Ryan Costanzo, REM, continues a tradition that spans decades through TTL’s Adopt-A-School partnership with Hillcrest Middle School.

For the past 25 years, TTL has supported the school with classroom supply donations, teacher meals, honor roll celebrations, and leadership awards.

“Giving back through Adopt-A-School is integral to what we mean when we say we’re ‘Driven to Serve,’” said Ryan, who is the son of career educators. “Going the extra mile with time, donations, and meals will always put a smile on a teacher's face, and those items serve as a reminder that they are respected and valued.”

Whether it’s providing multiple breakfasts and lunches for the teachers, making large donations to purchase supplies for classrooms, or rewarding honor roll students with breakfasts, lunches, and “Leader in Me” awards, TTL’s commitment to Hillcrest Middle School allows Ryan to give back to the place that once supported him.

“What brings it full circle is serving the same school I attended 25 years ago,” he said. “It’s incredibly meaningful to give back to a place that helped shape me.”

These are but a few examples, but all across our company footprint, TTL’s commitment to education reflects our belief that serving our communities starts by investing in the people and the places that build the future.

“Teachers are the unsung heroes of America,” Jeni said. “I bet that everyone can name at least one teacher who made an impact on them and helped them become who they are today.

“We, as an industry and community, need to rally around these men and women because they are shaping the future with their teaching and with their heart for each kid in their classroom.”