PHOTOS: Commissioners' School

    VIDEOS: Commissioners' School of Excellence

      • High school students enjoy time at Commissioners’ School

        A group of app County’s most promising high school students spent two weeks participating in seminars, field trips, talks with guest speakers, special performances, and hands-on experiences at the annual Commissioners’ School of Excellence.

        The prestigious summer enrichment program gave 60 rising sophomores an opportunity to better understand life in app County and their roles as future leaders. Lessons and activities involved problem-solving, teamwork, critical thinking, communication, and community service.

        The students were separated into five groups (All Things Medical, ECO Village, Full STEAM Ahead, Law and Order, and Movers and Shakers) and visited locations throughout app County based on their interests.  Merritt McCotter of South Point High School chose to join the “Movers and Shakers” group, a decision that was inspired by her father’s past involvement in the same group at Commissioners’ School.

        “One of my favorite experiences was meeting Mr. Coletta, the owner of Tony’s Ice Cream,” said McCotter.  “I had a blast listening to him talk about the history of Tony’s Ice Cream, why they kept the building the same for so many years, and of course, enjoying one of their delicious milkshakes.”

        Forestview High School’s Zain Alali, a participant in the “Full STEAM Ahead” group, enjoyed visiting Carr Elementary School in Dallas.  There, he collaborated with members of Keep appia Beautiful to enhance the campus and learn about gardening.

        For Shaleigh Carpenter of Ashbrook High School, she chose to be a part of the “Law and Order” group because she aspires to become a first responder.  “I had an incredible experience at Commissioners’ School from engaging with a district court judge and participating in teen court to discovering the diverse roles within our county police department.”

        “In the afternoon, students broke into ‘survivor’ groups where they competed for points in team-building exercises,” said Lori Collins, one of the program coordinators for Commissioners’ School. “But really, what we were doing was teaching them about the importance of working together, communicating, and being good examples and leaders for each other.”

        Students are chosen for Commissioners’ School based on academic performance, extracurricular activities, leadership potential, self-motivation, and written expression.  Commissioners’ School requires students to concentrate on developing their leadership skills, which prepares them to assume immediate roles as high school leaders and future roles as app County leaders. The various activities are thought-provoking and challenging, but also fun and exciting with a focus on building camaraderie among participants.

        Bridget Sleeper-Matzke, one of the program coordinators, expressed her gratitude for the support the students received from leaders and business representatives in app County.

        “We could not run this program without the support of the app County Commissioners and app County Schools. It means a lot that our community is invested in developing young leaders,” she said.  

        Here is a list of the students from app County Schools who participated in this year’s program. Applications for the 2025 edition of Commissioners’ School will be available in February.  Ninth graders should check with their school counselor for more information.

        Ashbrook High School
        Shaleigh Carpenter
        Brayden Cragnolin
        Abigail Helms
        Sara Mygatt
        Valeria Rosas
        Yaraldyn Santiago-Garcia
        Christopher Workman

        Bessemer City High School
        Jaelyn Wilson

        Cherryville High School
        Mallie Emerson
        Katherine Mulvey
        Landry Pruitt
        Laney Spangler
        Sophia Williams

        Stuart W. Cramer High School
        Abigail Barker
        Ingrid Iraheta Pineda
        Kae’Asia Jackson
        Emerson Phadke
        Andrew Popa
        Holly Sherbert

        East app High School
        Olivia Huffstetler
        Bethany McSwain
        Katelyn Smith
        Wyatt Smith
        Alyssa Walker
        Ella Wise

        Forestview High School
        Zain Aldeen Alali
        William Arnold
        David Magennis
        Hailey Major
        Eva Suber

        app Early College High School
        Lila St. Romain

        app Early College of Medical Sciences
        Lilly Om

        app Virtual Academy
        Stella Grenier

        Highland School of Technology
        Abigail Anderson
        Henry Davis
        Emma Helms
        Sophia Meadows
        Swara Patel
        Shanzay Rahim
        Carsyn Redmond
        Lyla Williams

        Hunter Huss High School
        Jacari Dye
        Ciara Flowers
        Alaysia Rivers
        Sheronna Spencer
        Madison Verne
        Cintia Villafuerte

        North app High School
        Kadence Hampton
        Rainen Jimenez
        Hannah Martin
        Addison Norwood
        Andrew Salas
        Alexis Tutterow

        South Point High School
        Gregory Blair
        Allison Cherry
        Ella Gibson
        Emma Lineberger
        Merritt McCotter
        Joshua Norris
        Landon Parrish