More than 200 Birmingham City Schools students were inducted into the system's Career Academies on Thursday, April 30 at Boutwell Auditorium. The 10 a.m. ceremony was similar to an Honor Society induction.
Juniors pinned freshmen and sophomores selected to be in the academies, an accelerated curriculum that helps students decide which college or career path they want to pursue after high school. Six of the system's high schools have career academies that offer everything from engineering and finance to the culinary arts and architecture.
Adrienne Walker, a junior at Huffman High School, said she thought she wanted to study nursing after high school. But after she was exposed to construction through Huffman's Academy of Architecture and Construction, she now wants to become a construction manager.
"I like to build things,'' she said.
DeJuan Posey, a junior at Woodlawn High School, said the Academy of Business and Finance at his school has helped him with public speaking, learning business terms and gaining more knowledge about finance. One day, he'd like to own a restaurant that features Jazz singers. "Without the academy, I would not be fulfilling my full potential,'' DeJuan said. "I'd be lacking.'' "I love the academy.''
Dejuan Posey, a junior, pinned Zacaryia Bratcher, a sophomore. Both attend Woodlawn High School.
Woodlawn student Zacaryia Bratcher said that because of the Career Academies, she knows she wants to go to college. "As far as a major, I don' t know yet. But I do know that I want to go to a university,'' she said. She added that a recent tour of Regions Bank exposed her to different career opportunities in a bank that "caught my interest.''
With the Career Academies, graduation is not just a goal but a given as students receive the academic rigor they need while still in high school, said Dr. Spencer Horn, interim superintendent. Some academies offer higher-level math and science courses. Others offer dual-enrollment courses at Lawson State Community College.
Academies also partner with community stakeholders such as Regions and the Birmingham Education Foundation on various programs.
The Career Academies started during the 2011/2012 school year. This is the third year for the induction ceremony. May 2015 will mark the first time Career Academies students will graduate. About 170 Career Academies students will graduate in May, says Melissa Cottrell, interim director for the academies.
The Career Academies include:
academy signs
To see more photos from the induction ceremony, please visit the BCS Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1643000599263799&id=1417462398484288