Keshawn Thomas is the first graduate of the Madison County Employment and Training Department's Apprenticeship Program! The Registered Apprenticeship Program, through the Madison County Employment and Training Department, offers students with disabilities at Collinsville School District the opportunity to pursue three tracks developed in collaboration with the Gateway Convention Center and the City of Collinsville Parks and Recreation Department. Positions include housekeeping, events support, and landscaper/groundskeeper. There are currently four students in the Apprenticeship Program.

Keshawn worked as a landscaper and groundskeeper in the City's Parks and Recreation Department alongside his mentor, Michael Dowell. Michael, an employee at Collinsville Parks, said Keshawn is like Mr. Sunshine by brightening everyone's day. Keshawn's mother said he's continued to break milestones since the age of three. During the City Council meeting in January, the City of Collinsville recognized Keshawn as the first student to complete the program and presented him with his U.S. Department of Labor Apprenticeship Certificate in front of his family, teachers, and co-workers. This accomplishment paves the way for his future, in which his Apprenticeship Certificate will be used to pursue future employment opportunities.

Watch Keshawn be recognized with his mentor in this video on Fox 2 St. Louis: https://youtu.be/yCFS5H0kSt4

To hear more about Keshawn's success, watch this interview with Keshawn's mother, the Director of Special Education at Collinsville Unit 20, and the Director of Madison County Employment and Training Department: https://youtu.be/iKjNPNsMJAU