The evidence for the presence of academies at Bearden is everywhere – from the H2S2 and BLC logos on teachers’ signs outside of classrooms to the academy prints on the walls in the freshman wing.
With the introduction of academy ambassadors to Bearden, the academy presence is now also beginning to surface in the student body.
This school year marks the second year of academy system implementation as the first true academy class begins their sophomore year and teachers and faculty gain more experience with the process.
“Freshman seminar is off to a great start,” academy coach Mrs. Kelley Darnell said. “We have one year of experience behind us, and we know the things that worked well and the things that didn’t, so we’re able to tweak it and make it better for our incoming freshmen.”
Freshmen have begun their seminar activities, which are helping them get accustomed to Bearden and choose one of three academies and nineteen pathways. Sophomores are currently becoming more involved within their assigned academy.
At the end of last year, Mrs. Darnell and a team of administrators selected 10 freshmen (now sophomores) to take on the position of academy ambassadors. Ambassadors, once selected as freshmen, will continue to serve the student body all throughout high school unless they no longer meet the qualifications. These students represent a particular academy and take on the role of a representative of the school.
Ambassadors speak to parents and students during events like Open House and Freshman Night and are charged with being a positive ambassador of the school. Starting this year, the ambassadors will specifically connect with career experts to add to the academy system.
“When we have guests in the building such as guest speakers or industry experts or people or businesses that we’re going to partner with, they help me give them tours of the building and kind of talk about their role and what they do,” Mrs. Darnell said.
These students will also serve on an advisory board with Mrs. Sayers to discuss things that are happening in the school and to offer a student view of the academy system. They were able to learn more about their role in the school through a field trip they took to the University of Tennessee last week to meet with the ambassadors.
“The UT ambassadors trained them on how to give tours, how to be an ambassador, and what things you can talk about with adults that you don’t know very well,” Mrs. Darnell said.
Added sophomore ambassador Thatcher Ella: “The UTK ambassadors taught us how to give effective and interesting tours. We learned how to be prepared for the worst.”
Mrs. Darnell and other administrators hope that the Bearden ambassadors will take on a role similar to the UTK ambassadors. They are currently in the process of selecting additional freshmen and sophomores to become academy ambassadors. The application process involves essay questions, three teacher recommendations, and an interview.
Though Mrs. Darnell acknowledges that the selection process can be rigorous, the academy ambassadors have enjoyed their time representing the school overall.
“Being an ambassador is so great and it opens so many opportunities for me,” Ella said. “I hope I can represent the BLC academy in the future.”