A rising senior at Granville Early College is the inaugural recipient of a Chamber of Commerce award that shines a light on teen employees in the county.

Cassie Peele has worked at Strong Arm Baking Co. in Oxford for close to two years, and owner Julia Blaine nominated Peele for the Student Spotlight, sponsored by the Granville Chamber.

“(Cassie) arrives to work every Saturday morning at 4:30 a.m., before most high school students could even dream about waking up,” Blaine wrote in her nomination. She began with basic cleaning tasks, but always asked for more. Now she leads the wholesale packing operation, leading four others who are responsible for packing all the items for Strong Arm’s dozens of wholesale accounts.

But that’s not all. “Cassie also represents our business at two farmers markets, keeping a clean and efficient selling space and treating customers and coworkers alike with respect and kindness. She is a true shining star for our business… continually rising to meet new challenges, and consistently surprising us with her problem-solving ideas, and positive, contagious attitude,” Blaine said.

In addition to her outstanding work ethic and leadership, Peele is committed to making a difference in her local community. She is a volunteer with Granville County Teen Court and is a member of the Granville County Youth Leadership Council.  She is also a member of the National Honor Society and serves on the Granville County Library Board of Trustees at the Richard H. Thornton Library, which allows her to give adult staff feedback on how teens view the changes and policies of the library. As if that wasn’t enough, she gives blood to the American Red Cross Association and creates holiday cards for the children’s hospital.

“Cassie is so deserving of this recognition.  She is a humble, intelligent, and kind person and it has been my pleasure to serve as her College Liaison over the past 3 years. I am very proud of her and the contributions of her time and talents to the Granville County community.  In addition to her work at Strong Arm Bakery, her service to various organizations will have a lasting impact.  I encourage her to keep shining bright and to continue the awesome work on and off the job!” said Reba Bullock, Chamber board president.

Cassie told the Chamber, “Strong Arm Baking is like my second home.  This work environment is helping me obtain more knowledge for my future career which will probably be in business administration. Thomas and Julia Blaine are role models in the Granville County community that can show that anything is possible!”

Cassie Peele exemplifies the qualities of a well-rounded, accomplished student who is poised to make a lasting impact in their community. Her achievements in academics, leadership, and community engagement have set a high standard for excellence. The Chamber of Commerce recognizes and applauds Cassie’s outstanding accomplishments and looks forward to watching her continue to shine!