It is just after 9 a.m. and Treliyah Simmons is hard at work in the Chick-fil-A drive-thru in Moncks Corner.
A couple of folks carrying cameras are heading inside the restaurant, but that's no biggie because she's been told they're there to film and photograph a visit from corporate.
However, completely unbeknownst to her, the small crowd of people starting to form inside the Chick-fil-A also includes a couple of former and current Berkeley High staff members who used to teach Simmons when she was a student at BHS. Berkeley County School District Superintendent Dr. Anthony Dixon and Deputy Superintendent Dr. Karen Whitley have also arrived, along with a few Chick-fil-A officials and some of her coworkers.
And they are not there for the reasons Simmons thinks...they are all there for her, ready to congratulate her for being named the Team Member of the Year for 2024. VIEW PHOTOS.
Simmons is a 2024 graduate from Berkeley High, and anyone who has met her will say the same thing: she is a model of compassion, hospitality, empathy and love.
Plus, she gives great hugs.
More importantly, all these traits make her very deserving of this honor, which recognizes outstanding Chick-fil-A employees at the Moncks Corner location.
Joining the assembled group Wednesday morning, Simmons is overcome with emotion as school, district office and restaurant representatives cheer her on, greeting her with flowers, cards and a special cake.
Starting to dab happy tears, Simmons sweetly admits she was shocked by the recognition.
“I couldn’t believe it,” she tells the crowd. “I couldn’t have done it without all y’all.”
School support
When she thinks about her time at Berkeley High, Simmons fondly remembers the teachers she had.
“I love the teachers – I love everything,” she said. “It was a good school.”
Berkeley High Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Brian Welch is a former special services teacher at the school and was one of Simmons’s teachers. Welch was joined by classroom assistant Deisha Sims and retired Berkeley High classroom assistant Patricia Howell at the surprise party, along with former special services teacher Molly Caggiano.
Welch said the Berkeley High group is very proud of Simmons, but also not surprised. Simmons is a hard worker!
“She’s been who she is for as long as we’ve known her,” Welch said.
The special services program at Berkeley High works to help its students be prepared for life after graduation by focusing on a number of work and life skills such as grocery shopping and budgeting. Students also do a lot of work-based learning.
Welch said Simmons came to Berkeley High already a rock star and always did a great job – not just at any position that was assigned to her, but in helping others as well. During her time in high school, her teachers got their students involved in jobs at various locations around Moncks Corner including Applebee’s, Goodwill and the SPCA. Simmons excelled at all of them.
“To know her is to love her, and she just works so hard,” Welch said.
Simmons started working at Chick-fil-A in February 2021. At her surprise party, a poster reflected her time at the restaurant, from her landing the job after going through a formal interview, to participating in training, to becoming a full-time employee.
When she was about to graduate, her teachers spoke with her about what she wanted to do after high school, and she said she really enjoyed her job at Chick-fil-A.
“The managers – they are so nice,” she said. “I can’t be more thankful.”
Caring spirit
Simmons accepted the award of Team Member of the Year with a mixture of shock and appreciation, and she said it felt great to see her former teachers again.
“It feels like I’m back at school,” she said.
Simmons added she is excited to share her good news with everybody she knows.
“It feels good,” she said. “I came so far."
Chick-fil-A directors Savannah Dean and Mandy Jessup said the process of selecting the recipient is led by the restaurant’s executive leadership team. They started the process back in October, looking at employees who exemplify Chick-fil-A’s “Core 4” values, which are a set of guidelines for customer service that include making eye contact, smiling, speaking kindly, and saying “My pleasure.” The leadership team proceeds to vote on employees to arrive at a decision.
“Specifically, with Treliyah, what stood out is that the care and the compassion that she has for the team is unmatched,” Dean said. “She embodies Team Member of the Year because she is so caring and she is so charismatic.”
Jessup said Chick-fil-A’s vision is to be known for that special element of hospitality.
“I think she is our most caring team member – not just for guests, but for team members,” Jessup said. “If there is something to celebrate, Treliyah is going to be there to celebrate with you. If there is something to grieve, she is going to give you a hug and she is going to make sure that she cares.”
It should be noted that while Chick-fil-A knows how hard Simmons works at her job, it is her personality and character that really make her stand out.
“To have her care for people – that is something you can’t train,” Jessup said. “That is something that’s intrinsic. That is what makes her such a valuable team member.”
As part of the recognition, along with a celebratory cake (decked out in the notable Chick-fil-A cow print) and a pile on congratulatory cards from her coworkers, Simmons was also awarded a special plaque, along with a new name badge with the words “Team Member of the Year.” Plus, she will also get to go on a trip to Atlanta later this year to take a tour of the company’s headquarters!
