Employee Spotlight: Hakeem Thornton, Residential Care Specialist

Authored by: Shannon Bader, Human Resources Coordinator

Please welcome me in saying CONGRATULATIONS to Hakeem Thornton for being selected as our February Employee Spotlight Winner!!  Hakeem has been recognized by his peers and leaders for many things over the last several months but most recently he was given a Shout Out for helping out his coworkers and youth during a rough shift. Thank you Hakeem for ALL of your hard work, it is GREATLY appreciated!! 

How long have you worked at Norris and in what positions?  

I’ve been here about 7 ½ months as an RCS.

What is your favorite Norris memory?

In general, I love seeing kids get discharged.

What is your favorite song of all time? 

Cry Me a River by Justin Timberlake

What was the last gift that you gave to someone? 

I gave my best friend a necklace

What were you like in high school? 

I was a jock. I played basketball and football

If you received enough money to never need to work again, what would you spend your time doing? 

I would have to work. Not for the money, but to keep myself occupied. I would probably still be working here at Norris!

What is your favorite food to prepare (or eat)? 

Steak Alfredo

When was the last time you traveled somewhere new? 

This is in the future, but I’m traveling to the smoky mountains in June!

How do you spend your free time?

I like to work out and spend time with my friends and family

What is your most useless talent?

I don’t know! But the talent I use most often with our youth is humor.

Who would play you in the Lifetime original movie of your teen years?

Denzel Washington from his younger years

What is the best advice that you have been given from staff when you started working here?

Just be yourself. Anything other than that they will be able to see through. 

What would be your best advice for new staff at Norris?

Same as the advice I got, but also have interactions to build relationships faster.

What is the last thing that you’ve done that’s worth remembering? 

Building memories with people is an everyday thing. And it’s worth remembering. You don’t appreciate those memories until you don’t have them anymore.

If you would like to work with amazing people like Hakeem, check out the “Join Our Team” page for current openings at Norris. Stay tuned for more great Employee Spotlights!