Tift County Board of Education Chair Jonathan Jones, left, and School Superintendent Natalie Gore, right, honored, from left, Tift High teachers Jennifer Gunn and Dr. Renee Hughes and Assistant Principal Dr. Chanon Collins for their work in handling the months of preparation and sudden change of plans for the 2024 graduation.

TIFTON — Tift County Schools staff received an entirely new honor to praise their adaptability and grit in handling the tumultuous planning of this year’s graduation ceremonies at the most recent Board of Education meeting.

Board members presented the TCS Grounds and Maintenance department, as well as Tift County High School assistant principal Dr. Chanon Collins and TCHS teachers Dr. Renee Hughes and Jennifer Gunn with the first Beyond the T Awards as thanks for going above and beyond to keep the event running as smoothly as possible.

School superintendent Natalie Gore praised the Grounds and Maintenance department for taking the whirlwind that was arranging the graduation in stride, working without issue to prep the event locales, arrange proper seating for students, and dismantle the setup within the day.

Likewise, the three faculty being recognized were equally extraordinary in their contributions, Gore said. She expressed her gratitude for the months of work they had put in to organize the ceremonies, as well as their ability to pivot at the last minute and reorganize when plans changed.

The superintendent explained that she had been inspired to create the Beyond the T award after witnessing the hard work its first recipients had put in to handle the hectic rescheduling, and announced that it would be given out to other faculty and staff who went above and beyond for the school system beginning the following school year.