Student Newspaper Editors
Theogony, the Alexandria City High School (ACHS) student-run media organization, has new editors for the 2022-23 school year. Rising seniors Guy Cardwell, Lilliana Escobar, Nora Malone and Emily Milton, as well as rising juniors Yahney-Marie Sangare, Harper Travis and Chloe Yokitis will lead publishing activities on four platforms that include print, online, television and social media. Kamilah Lawson, an ACHS English teacher and the faculty advisor for Theogony, is excited to work with the new leadership team.
The editors represent diverse interests including theater, sports, travel, music and film as reflected in their participation in various student organizations and extracurricular activities. They also are passionate about helping others to have their voices heard and how world issues may affect the Titan community. Malone will be the only returning editor. As a team, they are eager to work with and learn from each other and see Theogony grow.
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Summer Language Program
Five Alexandria City High School (ACHS) students have been accepted to the highly competitive 2022 Governor’s Summer Residential World Language Academies. These students will be fully immersed in their respective language programs for three weeks.
ACPS is proud to recognize these students for their achievements:
- Gretta Anderson, French
- Eliana Rougle, French
- Lily Seestedt, German
- Katie Witebsky, German
- Bridget Baron, Spanish
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Governor’s Health Sciences Academy (GHSA)
On May 31, 2022, the Governor’s Health Sciences Academy celebrated its first class of graduates from Alexandria City High School (ACHS). During a virtual recognition ceremony, Alexandria City Public School (ACPS) Superintendent Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr., ACHS Executive Principal Peter Balas, as well as George Washington University (GW) deans and faculty participated along with students, families and community partners.
“GHSA Class of 2022 students are headed on to various exciting and impressive post-secondary adventures,” ACPS Academy & Dual Enrollment Coordinator Kathleen Brewster said. She said some of the graduates have plans to attend Northern Virginia Community College to complete various programs and bridge opportunities to the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences. A number of graduates are headed to other four-year colleges and universities, as well as Ivy League universities, with some having been awarded significant scholarship packages. Students who graduate from the Academy also have the option to enter the workforce in an entry-level medical role.
Designed through a collaborative effort between ACPS and GW in 2017, GHSA is a school-within-a-school. Students have the ability to receive up to 18 college credits from the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences and start a career pathway that leads to an associate’s and/or bachelor’s degree and career-related industry certifications. This partnership also aims to address the workforce shortage of qualified healthcare workers in Virginia and across the U.S. The Academy built on existing pathways in nursing and surgical technology and introduced others in biomedical informatics, sports medicine, emergency medical services and medical laboratory sciences during the 2020-21 school year.
Academy goals include providing students with hands-on collaborative learning and lab experiences to better prepare them for rapidly changing, technologically enhanced health science fields. It also offers the opportunity to grow the number of industry certifications awarded to high school students, preparing them to be more competitive in the workforce and when applying to advanced training schools or postsecondary institutions. Students also benefit as they develop workplace readiness skills with opportunities for internships, mentorships, clinical and cooperative experiences. Brewster says, “We are looking forward to welcoming nearly 100 rising ninth graders into the GHSA Class of 2026 in the Fall!”