Spring is always a bittersweet time for graduating seniors across Tampa Bay. As the school year ends, parents and faculty look on proudly as students celebrate the next step on their journey. Every acceptance letter opened or new college sweatshirt worn is another step as students prepare to transition to colleges and universities across the country.
A college acceptance letter is the culmination of years of hard work. For students at Academy at the Lakes, a private school in Land O’ Lakes, that journey does not start in high school; it begins when they first walk onto campus, which for some students was 14 or 15 years ago. According to Mark Heller, Head of School at Academy at the Lakes, teaching “soft skills” should begin as early as possible. “We want our students to feel empowered and confident so that when they leave our campus, they have the skills to succeed academically, professionally, and socially.”
While academic skills remain a crucial component of a child’s education, Heller believes that a focus on relationship building, effective communication, and public speaking provide students with a margin of difference that prepares them for what comes after graduation. “When Academy alumni come back to visit campus, I love to hear their feedback. Almost all tell me how their writing skills and their ability to comfortably communicate with faculty and peers have helped them stand out on their college campus. Hearing them remark, ‘Mr. Heller, everything Academy taught us really was true!’ always earns some good-hearted laughter among the faculty.” Starting in Lower Division, Academy faculty work to introduce students to high-level writing tasks and encourage creative thinking. Over the years, students are presented with opportunities to dive into great literature and avenues to explore art and science, including environmental science and robotics. They’re also encouraged to pursue the AP level in every academic subject. “One of the major advantages of a small teacher-to-student ratio is that faculty can work hard to meet each student’s needs and build long-lasting relationships with Academy students and families,” says Heller.
From Here, Our Students Go Everywhere!
Class of 2021 College Matriculation
Vanessa Nicole Alexander
Brown University
Jacob Thomas Ayoub
Boston College
Madeleine Kate Bain
Belmont University
Josiah Jared Bayona
Undecided
Haven Malina Blinder
Florida Southern College
Samson William Brend
University of South Florida
Jalen Deshawun-Demar Brown
Undecided
Alexander Dean Carmichael
Upper Iowa University
Ava Caroline Caudle
Trinity College
Ethan Victor Cisler
Purdue University
Dwight Roy Downing
Florida Gulf Coast University
Tikiri Manohari Ekanayake
University of Florida
Hannah Elisabeth Fowler
Florida Gulf Coast University
Yue Gao
Boston University
Rori Kathrine Gerstner
Nova Southeastern University
Nicole Marie Gilleland
Florida State University
Hudson Robert Griffith
University of Florida
Emily Ann Halfpenny
Eckerd College
Kathryn Nicole Johnson
Saint Leo University
Behroze Khalil
University of South Florida
Adrian Christopher Leverette
Luther College
Daniel Richard Messineo
Florida State University
Zoë Arianna Moore
Howard University
Taimoor Nawaz
University of Florida
Zainab Nawaz
University of Florida
Tia Thanh Nguyen
University of South Florida
Tayshawn Qareeb Pendleton
LaGrange College
Sean Alexander Saccomanno
Saint Norbert College
Seth Angel Sanchez
Lipscomb University
Summer Lynn Senior
University of South Florida
Zelin Shen
Virginia Polytechnic Institute
McKenna Allyn Smith
Duke University
Jeslyn Sophia Socorro
University of Tampa
Jacob David Syversen
US Merchant Marine Academy
Jack Brian Teeter
Eckerd College
Sarah Anne Witt
Florida Atlantic University
Joseph Caleb Yann
Florida Gulf Coast University
Isabella Simone Yee
Florida State University
Daria Igorevna Yurchenko
University of Central Florida
Adam Hazrat Zarak
University of Central Florida
Shuo Zeng
New York University