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‘TIELAR’ the mannequin has been collecting ties at Colony Bank for students at THINC Academy for the past month. On Tuesday, members of Colony Bank and Tielar donated more than 50 ties for students to use on professional dress day.

“The ladies at the bank came up with this idea to create Tielar to sit in the lobby and ask our customers for ties,” said LaGrange Market President Mike Speight. “We just went around and gathered up ties so that we could share them with the students here, so they could use them for their professional dress days.”

According to THINC CEO Gerald Wyatt, the students wear professional clothing attire every Tuesday to school.

“It is an opportunity for our students to demonstrate what they’ve learned from professional skills,” Wyatt said. “They come dressed in professional wear. If they are in healthcare, they are allowed to wear scrubs. If they’re in business or engineering, they dress appropriately.”

Wyatt said it gives students the opportunity to know what it looks and feels like to be professional.

“For me, it is a gateway to responsibility,” said LaGrange High School junior Ansley Schuman. “It’s preparing me for what I need to know in a workplace. You can train an employee how to do something, but you can’t train them how have personal skills. Once I enter the workforce, I’ll already know how to professionally dress and how to act professionally.”

Full-time THINC senior student Ethan Garretson said professional dress days gives him the opportunity to put his best foot forward.

“It shows that we have personal skills such as employability skills that demonstrates that we can show up to an interview and put forth effort that maybe other students or maybe other people don’t,” Garretson said. “Dressing nice, speaking eloquently, or properly, write and read well and being able to have those employability skills puts us above the rest.”

Colony Bank has been a partner with the academy since it first opened its door three years ago.

“Colony has always been a leader and a great partner with us here at THINC, particularly with our expedition program, helping our students open bank accounts, financial planning, budgeting and getting them started on that track,” Wyatt said. “Not only Colony but all of our community partners and business partners have always come and stepped up to the plate to help our students get what they need. Whether it’s by helping with the curriculum or by giving them speeches or by even giving them ties and attire to help them be prepared for life.”

Garretson said he was thankful to see the community step up and donate ties.

“That helps kids who need them, helps kids who don’t have one or just can’t simply afford one,” Garretson said.

Students in need of a tie will be able to borrow a tie if they forget one or take one home to own if they cannot afford their own.