The partnership between BETA
Communications and Highland Tech High
proves that even the smallest businesses
can make enormous contributions to the
School Business Partnership program. It
also highlights the important role that students
play in the process.
When Highland Tech High’s Robotics
Team 1548 needed a mentor, Mason
Smales took the initiative to find
someone who would be willing
to donate time, energy, and
resources to the group. Mason
is a Highland Tech High student,
co-captain of the robotics
team, and will lead the group to
a regional competition in San
Jose later this year.
Mason originally invited Lon
Lyford, president and CEO of
BETA Communications, to visit
the team as a guest speaker.
Mr. Lyford instantly won the
respect and admiration of the
robotics team, thanks to his
vast knowledge of computers
and programming. The students
were especially excited
to see someone applying technical skills in
a real-world job, so Mr. Lyford became an
instant role model for the group.
Mr. Lyford has spent countless hours
working with the team. They have worked
through lifelike problems, such as, “What
would you do if two robotics became
lodged in an offshoot pipe of the Trans-
Alaska pipeline?” He regularly provides
technical assistance to students, but
refuses to feed them answers or tell them
what to do. He is a hands-off coach who
expects the students to do the critical
thinking. Once the students work through
their designs, Mr. Lyford takes them to a
fabrication shop where they can actually
build the robot that will compete in the
competition.
Mason’s leadership, students at
Highland Tech High do everything they can
to give back to BETA Communications.
The students help advertise the business,
provide Mr. Lyford with meals when he is
away from his home, and have officially
named him as a co-coach of the Robotics
team so he can travel with them to San
Jose for the regional competition. Clearly,
the Highland Tech students treat their
business partners with respect and do
everything they can to ensure that both
parties benefit from the partnership. |
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The relationship between BETA
Communications and Highland Tech High
is obviously beneficial to the 25 students
on the robotics team. However, there is
a wonderful trickle-down effect that benefits
all 300 students in the school. The
Robotics students mentor the Lego students,
the Lego students mentor advisory
students, and one can only guess how far
the ball keeps rolling from there. Mason’s
leadership and Mr. Lyford’s help certainly
contribute to this sense of community and
respect that can be found at Highland
Tech. For more information, go to their
web site at www.frc1548.org.
Mason Smales working |
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