Kaleigh Walker Student Success

Bearden Soccer Player Wins “High School Heisman”

Bearden High School senior Brinley Murphy signs a letter of intent to play soccer at the University of South Carolina.

Bearden High School soccer player Brinley Murphy received a prestigious honor this month when she was named one of two Heisman High School Scholarship winners for the state of Tennessee.

The $1,000 scholarship is sponsored by the Heisman Trophy, which also recognizes the most outstanding college football player in the country. The high school award is given to the most remarkable student-athletes in the country who make a difference on and off the field. 

Murphy was nominated by Bearden college counselor Susan Bolinger, who said, “she’s got some really great accolades, but more importantly, she’s just a great young woman.”

The list of her accolades is extensive, as she has been named the 2021-22 Tennessee Gatorade Girls Soccer Player of the Year. In addition, she is three times All-State, All-Region, and All-District, a two-time Region MVP, a State MVP, MVP All-American, and she has led her team to two state championship wins. 

“She always goes above and beyond,” Bolinger said. “She makes Bearden a better place to be.”

When Bolinger told the star athlete she had been nominated, Murphy said, “it’s just a huge honor.”

Her family has been an integral part of her success. Both of her parents were also successful student athletes.

“They’ve always instilled in me to work hard no matter what,” Murphy said.

She also receives a phone call from her grandfather before every game to wish her luck. Once she committed to the University of South Carolina, she started receiving an additional call to make sure she was watching the match.

This constant encouragement and support from family, friends, and coaches is the reason she stays motivated in academics and athletics, she said.

This drive also led her to South Carolina.

“They just won an SEC championship for soccer, and they have the number one honors college in the country,” Murphy said. “I see myself succeeding the most there.”

In addition to joining the soccer team, Murphy plans to take pre-med courses.

“I’ve always wanted to be some kind of doctor,” she said. “I’ve always liked helping people.”

 

Kaleigh Walker 865 Academies, Career Empowerment, Student Success

Powell High Student Earns Perfect Score on ACT

Zach Carter, a senior at Powell High who recently earned a perfect score on the ACT, hopes to become a roller-coaster engineer.

Zach Carter made history for Powell High School as one of the few students in the country to make a perfect score on the ACT.

Carter took the test during the spring semester of his junior year and waited a week longer than his peers to receive his score. 

“I was pretty relieved,” Carter said. “They called me down to the guidance counseling office to surprise me. It was pretty special.”

To make the accomplishment even more impressive, Carter has dealt with vision problems all his life. He was born with motor nystagmus, an involuntary movement of the eyes, and said he “didn’t really have sight until a few months into my childhood.”

The Powell High senior received training and assistance through Knox County Schools to “help me work at a comparable standard to everyone else around me,” he said.

His mother, Stephanie Carter, said she is proud of her son and how he overcomes his obstacles.

“He’s never let his vision hold him back from what he wants to do,” she said. “He just pushes through it and finds a different way of accomplishing it.”

Principal Dr. Chad Smith believes Carter sets an example for younger students.

“When you let school work for you, look what it can do,” he said. “There should be no excuses. I think that’s the true testament.”

Carter credits his ACT success to teacher Micaiah Smoker’s ACT prep “boot camp.” PHS students of all ages are invited to attend a three-hour, Saturday morning course for test-taking tips, practice tests, and goal-setting. Smoker said students who attend generally see a two- to three-point increase in their score.

“Professionally, it made me feel like the work has been put in,” Smoker said, regarding Carter’s achievement following the boot camp. “It’s a monumental thing for him and Powell High School.”

What’s the next step for this soon-to-be graduate? Carter recently toured Ohio State University and the University of Tennessee, taking particular interest in their marching band and engineering programs. 

He said he hopes to continue participating in the band while working towards his dream career of becoming a roller coaster engineer. 

Regardless of where Carter decides to continue his education, he will be remembered at Powell High School.

“That accomplishment is something we’ll still be talking about long after Zach’s moved on, to show that it can be done with extra hard work, determination, and the right attitude,” Smith said. 

 

KCS Hall Pass 865 Academies, Career Empowerment, Community Partners, Student Success

Iron Chef Competition Provides Hands-On Training

Culinary students from Karns High School participated in an “Iron Chef” competition on Oct. 19, an event that also provided hands-on training for students from the school’s A/V Production class.

On a recent Wednesday morning, students from Karns High School gathered in the school’s commercial kitchen as teacher Jacob Neblett gave a countdown: “Your time starts NOW!”

With that cue, a flurry of activity began as two groups of students opened packets of military-style MREs and rushed through the kitchen to gather additional ingredients.

The occasion was an Iron Chef-style competition at Karns, which was sponsored by the Tennessee Army National Guard and that offered hands-on training for students in the Culinary and A/V Production programs.

Students were challenged to transform the MREs – or “meals-ready-to-eat” – into a culinary creation by using the secret ingredients in the packets along with fresh ingredients from the kitchen. As they worked, Neblett offered advice and guidance, at one point reminding them to “Always be tasting, always be plating!”

At the same time, students from teacher Chris Wade’s A/V Production class gathered video, photos and interviews, which will be used in digital media content promoting the school.

The competition also served as a recruiting tool for 9th-grade students from the KHS Freshman Seminar, who watched from one end of the kitchen and got a pitch from Neblett that emphasized the hands-on, high-energy vibe in his classes.

The event parallels the goals of the district’s “865 Academies” initiative, which aims to provide strong connections between classroom knowledge and workplace success. Launched with support from Knox Education Foundation, the initiative’s ultimate goal is to make students “865 Ready” for college enrollment, enlistment in service to their country, or employment in a high-wage, high-demand field.

Julie Langley, the academy coach at Karns, said the culinary program aims to give students a vision for entrepreneurial career options, including work as chefs, restaurateurs or caterers.

“We want students to be able to imagine themselves in a high-paying, high-demand field,” said Langley. “We’re not trying to turn out food-service workers, we’re trying to emphasize the ‘art’ in Culinary Arts, or the entrepreneurship of Culinary Arts.”

As participants energetically stirred sauces, shot video and chopped vegetables, the appeal of a hands-on class was apparent. And when the winning dish was announced — taquitos with homemade tortillas, and fried churros with chili chocolate sauce — the room erupted in cheers.

Haley Matthews, a 9th-grader who observed the competition during her Freshman Seminar, said she enjoyed watching students work together as a team, adding that she thinks culinary arts “would be a cool class in high school.”

The event had the frenzied feel of a cooking competition on the Food Network, and Wade said his long-term goal is for A/V Production students to produce a full-length show similar to “Iron Chef” or “Chopped”.

In the meantime, the content they produce is providing valuable experience. The video production industry has a robust presence in East Tennessee, and Wade said there is strong demand for employees including production assistants, camera operators and lighting directors.

And even before they graduate, the participation in dynamic, work-based learning helps to promote student engagement.

“Getting to see the advanced students do all that cool stuff, that’s just a great way to get younger students excited about coming to school,” Wade added.

 

Culinary teacher Jacob Neblett told freshmen that his Culinary Arts class is ideal for students who enjoy a high-energy, fast-paced environment.
Kaleigh Walker Student Success

First Lady Visits Sarah Moore Greene On National Tour

First Lady Dr. Jill Biden speaks with Sarah Moore Greene Magnet Academy principal Robin Curry during a school visit on Monday, Sept. 12, 2022. U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona also met with students and teachers during the visit.

Students and teachers at Sarah Moore Greene Magnet Academy experienced a once-in-a-lifetime event on Monday as they welcomed First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona as part of their national tour of schools.

Biden and Cardona, alongside Principal Robin Curry, visited the classroom of second-year teacher Kaitlyn Baker to meet students.

“When the press came in, all the students went silent,” Baker said, laughing. “But then the First Lady came in, and she really filled the space in the room and was building relationships with the students.”

Principal Curry said classroom visits are a natural part of a typical student learning walk.

“It was just awesome to be able to let her see our kids working hard and our teachers work on foundational literacy,” Curry said.

Biden also spoke with teachers in a small roundtable about educational support.

Farragut Intermediate special education teaching assistant Karol Harper discussed her experience entering the field through Tennessee’s unique Grow Your Own initiative, the state’s apprenticeship plan for preparing professionals transitioning into teaching positions.

The program was a major focus during Biden’s visit to the University of Tennessee later that day.

But the classroom visit and roundtable weren’t the only items on the agenda at Sarah Moore Greene. Biden and Curry had a surprise in store for the staff. Together, they unveiled a renovated lounge space featuring a calming color palette and comfortable furniture.

“I’m just grateful,” educational assistant Rachel Rodgers said. “To be able to go somewhere and sit and recharge and to enjoy your lunch. It’s a blessing to be able to have that.”

The new space has also helped to build community between teachers.

“Before, third grade teachers would sit with third grade. Fourth grade would sit with fourth grade,” Baker said. “But I’ve gotten to talk with other teachers too because we have a common space for when we don’t have students with us.”

All in all, Principal Curry hopes this visit inspires a long-lasting change in the community.

“I’m just hoping that we continue to focus on the great things that our community has, with our school being one of them,” Curry said.

The First Lady and Secretary of Education continued their tour with stops in North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

 

KCS Hall Pass Student Success

Latino Student Alliance Provides A Place To Connect

The Latino Student Alliance at Hardin Valley Academy gives students a chance to make connections and celebrate their heritage. Club members include Eduardo Perez, Brisa Villatoro, club president Grace Rodriguez, and Brenda Moreno Bernal.

On a recent morning, a group of students at Hardin Valley Academy gathered in the auditorium for a meeting about postsecondary opportunities and the college application process.

It’s a common topic, but in this case there was a twist. As she discussed issues like dual enrollment and financial aid, a guest speaker from Centro Hispano seamlessly shifted from English to Spanish and back again.

The meeting was hosted by HVA’s Latino Student Alliance, which has more than 80 members, and aims to provide Hispanic students a place to belong and share their cultural heritage within the broader Hawk family.

“I feel like it helps you feel welcomed in the school, and you see a little bit of yourself in it, your culture,” said club president Grace Rodriguez.

The club was founded six years ago by ELL teacher Veronica Calderon-Speed, who said that as the school’s Latino student population grew, she saw a need to help those students feel part of their school, make connections and showcase their talents.

She added that at one time, students would feel anxious about speaking Spanish in the hallways, “but since we’ve created this group that has gone away.”

One of the group’s key projects is Orgullo Latino, a cultural celebration that takes place during Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

Brisa Villatoro, a junior at HVA, participated in a merengue performance during last year’s Orgullo Latino, and said the Alliance gives students a place to represent their culture within a diverse student body.

At the same time, she said club members also benefit by learning about each other. “Because we’re all from different backgrounds and different ethnicities,” she said. “And it’s just really cool to learn about different countries and stuff like that.”

Kaleigh Walker 865 Academies, Career Empowerment, Student Success

College Application Month Provides Support For Seniors

As many Knox County students begin their senior year, they are also faced with a question: What will they do after graduation?

The district’s college and career counselors are helping to guide these seniors with College Application and Exploration Month, a statewide event that aims to generate excitement and provide education about the college application process.

“Our goal is to motivate students pursuing a college education, particularly those students that may be first-generation or low-income,” said Gibbs High School college and career counselor Lisa Marie Brown.

Many universities across the state offer application fee waivers during September as part of the initiative, and KCS high schools have organized several events throughout the month for their students.

Gibbs High School is hosting a Senior Family Night for students to meet with campus representatives from various institutions to learn about their programs. School counselors will also be set up during lunches to help answer application questions.

“My hope for our college-going students is that they challenge themselves and use every resource available to them to learn, grow, and become successful,” Brown said.

Hardin Valley Academy senior Megan McElroy looks forward to meeting with different colleges this month to find the perfect fit for her.

“I’m planning to go to a community college for the Tennessee Promise,” she said. “I need [a university] that will take my transfer credits, something that is not super expensive, one that has a community so you feel supported, and they help you after you graduate.”

Seniors across the district will meet with their school counselors to discuss post-graduation plans. For those interested in pursuing a college education, more information on College Application and Exploration Month can be found here.

Kaleigh Walker 865 Academies, Student Success

Central High School Artist Chosen For Frist Exhibition

Trinity Anthony’s painting, Internal Transfixation, was accepted for a show at the Frist Art Museum, in Nashville. (Submitted photo)

A Central High School senior has reached a goal many artists with more experience are still striving to accomplish: having their work displayed in a world-class art museum.

Trinity Anthony sent in four pieces to the Frist Art Museum in Nashville, unsure if even one would be selected for the Young Tennessee Artists exhibition.

“I wasn’t sure if anyone liked it,” she said about her piece entitled Internal Transfixation, which was selected for the show. Anthony said that because of COVID, she wasn’t able to get much feedback about the painting before submitting it to the Frist: “I was really surprised when it got in because no one was really able to comment on it.”

The piece is one of her favorites, she said, inspired by a previous traumatic accident that kept her away from her school and friends for half a year. Nearly six years ago, Anthony suffered a severe concussion after a fall.

“I was just stuck in my room for six months with nothing,” Anthony said of her recovery. “I couldn’t watch TV. I couldn’t read because the words just hurt. I had to have lights off all the time.”

It was then, in the darkness of her bedroom, alone, that she picked up drawing.

“I was able to draw things around me,” she said. “That was my only outlet to express myself and how I felt.”

When she was eventually cleared for 15 minutes of screen time per day, she utilized those periods by watching art videos and documentaries of artists to learn their techniques and improve her own skill.

“Once I got through all that, it really just blossomed,” Anthony said. “It’s an obsession.”

She has since had her work displayed in several art shows across her community, including the Knoxville Museum of Art East Tennessee Regional Student Art Exhibit, the Tennessee Valley Fair Art Show, and two Central High School art shows.

The young artist not only excels in her creativity and artistry, but also in academics and extracurriculars.

At Central High School, she is a member of the National Honor Society, was in the Science Club, created the Book Club, is the president of the Art Club, takes AP courses, and is studying for the ACT.

In her community, Anthony is a member of the National Art Honor Society, is on the Knox County Library Teen Advisory Board, completed an internship with The Bottom community center, worked as an apprentice at Beardsley Community Farm, and has been invited to be a part of a new arts collective in Knoxville.

Amanda Cagle, Anthony’s 7th-grade principal at South Doyle Middle School and now an assistant principal at Central, says Anthony “surpassed my thoughts of what you could do at that age.”

When reflecting on her success and growth as a young person, she said, “It feels very surreal, and it feels like an out-of-body experience. But it’s all very exciting.”

Anthony’s work will be displayed in the Frist Museum at the Conte Community Arts Gallery from Sept. 2, 2022 through Feb. 12, 2023.

KCS Hall Pass Student Success

Couple Provides Bus Support In Three Languages

Rudy and Becky Bran use their language skills to assist Knox County students — Rudy as a bus driver, and Becky as a customer service representative in the Transportation Department. (Submitted photo)

A husband-and-wife team of transportation professionals is putting their language skills to good use on behalf of KCS students.

Becky Bran is a customer service representative for the KCS Transportation Department, while Rudy Bran is a bus driver. Both are native Spanish speakers, and they have also learned the Akateko dialect, providing another way to connect with students and families who need assistance.

Becky said being bilingual has been beneficial in every job she’s had, and it has made a difference when talking to parents about bus issues. Language barriers can sometimes make it hard to understand information about routes or drop-off times, but she said parents are very grateful when they can get information in their own language.

“When I get to speak to them in Spanish, they understand and they’re not as confused,” she added.

Becky Bran was born and raised in New York City to parents who were originally from Honduras. They insisted that Rebecca and her siblings speak Spanish at home, and while she didn’t like it at the time, she came to appreciate that rule after seeing the benefits of speaking both languages as an adult.

Rudy Bran grew up in Guatemala, and didn’t know any English upon coming to the U.S. at the age of 17. He learned the language little by little, and eventually began working as a bus driver because it offered a flexible schedule that complemented his work as a minister with the Jehovah’s Witnesses church.

For KCS, he drives a route in the Carter community and also drives an additional route for special education students who participate in Community-Based Instruction during the day.

Rudy said new students who don’t speak English are often apprehensive when they get on his bus, and if he can have a conversation with them it helps make them comfortable.

He first noticed the influence of the Akateko dialect in his work as a pastor, and began picking up conversational phrases to interact with parishioners. About three years ago, he and Becky traveled to Guatemala on a mission trip, and stayed in a city where that dialect was the only language spoken.

After gaining fluency in the dialect, both now use it as part of their work with families and students. Becky said that when she receives a call with an Akateko speaker on the line, they are always surprised to hear a greeting in their language.

“Just by saying a hello, a greeting – ‘What can I help you with?’, ‘Where do you live?’ – in Akateko, that comforts them,” she said. “And you can get more information out of them in the little bit of Spanish that they do know. You can just tell the difference, that they’re not as terrified that nobody’s going to understand them.”

 

KCS Hall Pass 865 Academies, Community Partners, Great Educators, Student Success

Math Field Day Provides Fun With Numbers

 

During Math Field Day at Karns High School, the Iron Fit Challenge allowed students to analyze data generated by a weight-lifting exercise.

Field Day got a new twist at Karns High School this week.

On May 20, KHS hosted a Math Field Day for 9th-grade students, an event that aimed to build awareness and interest in math through a variety of hands-on activities and challenges at the school’s football stadium.

  • At an Iron Man challenge hosted by the Tennessee Army National Guard, students completed deadlift, ball toss and sprint-drag-carry challenges, then completed the assignment by performing math calculations to analyze the data they generated.

Another booth highlighted the Fibonacci sequence, a series of numbers in which each number is the sum of the two preceding it. 

Posters and fliers highlighted ways that the sequence occurs in nature, and students – led by art teacher Caitlyn Kingsbury-Gomez – used a large-frame loom to create a tapestry that incorporated the sequence.

Julie Langley, an instructional coach at KHS who organized the event, said the school wanted to find creative ways to increase achievement using high-interest activities.

  • “These are … primarily student-facilitated activities, which makes it a lot nicer and kids are sometimes more approachable than a teacher you don’t know,” she said.

Math Field Day included 42 events, with nine local businesses present on-site while another six collaborated on specific activities.

Yuleesa Kennedy, who plays on the KHS softball team, participated in a softball hitting challenge in which students used results to calculate batting averages.

Kennedy said she enjoyed the events, and there was also a nice year-end perk – the Field Day event provided students the opportunity “just to get outside.”

 

Yuleesa Kennedy takes a turn during the softball event at Math Field Day.
KCS Hall Pass Student Success

Bearden Student Earns Solo Wings

Sarah Stanley, a sophomore at Bearden High School, recently completed her first solo flight and is pursuing her pilot’s license. (Submitted photo)

For many high school students, spring is the season to make memories at prom, in a school musical or on the graduation stage. But for a sophomore at Bearden High School, her most memorable achievement came in the air.

On April 16, Sarah Stanley logged her first solo flight, taking off from Island Home Airport in a Cessna 172 and flying for about 15 minutes before returning to the same airport. 

The short journey marked the culmination of a long process. Stanley, 16, got her start in a mechanics program for teenagers that was offered by the Skyranch Youth Aviation Program, in Alcoa. She met a flight instructor through Skyranch, and began taking lessons at the age of 13. 

For her first solo flight, Stanley received a scholarship from the F.L.I.G.H.T. Foundation, which helped cover the $1,600 cost by matching the funds that Stanely raised by washing planes and babysitting.

Stanley said the most challenging part of flying is the landing, but that her favorite part is the feeling of freedom that comes from being in the air, because “when you’re flying, all that matters is that you’re flying.”

“You don’t have to think about anything else that’s stressing you out or aggravating you … In my mind, it’s just like ‘That’s on the ground.’”

Stanley’s next goal is to earn her pilot’s license, and while she’s leaving her career options open, she hopes to continue flying: “I definitely want to keep doing that for as long as I can.”

According to aviation tradition, flight instructors commemorate a student’s first solo flight by cutting off their shirt tail, indicating that they can fly without direction. In the early days of aviation, instructors guided their students by tugging on the back of their shirts. (Submitted photo)