In the last two years, we have been talking to our students
about embracing their “excellence.” One of the things I discovered after my
first few weeks at HA was that when our students were outside of Houston
Academy, they weren’t always eager to let others know they were HA students. I
wouldn’t go so far as to say they were ashamed, but they were definitely
uncomfortable with people in the greater-Dothan school labeling them as “snobby
rich kids.”
The funny thing is, everyone I’ve talked to in Dothan knows
that Houston Academy is the best and most rigorous school in the Wiregrass. In
fact, this year, we have record enrollment in the Upper School. The only factor that seems to keep people
from coming to HA is the perception that we are unaffordable.
First of all, having been here for over a year, I can tell
you that I’ve never been around a more well-mannered and assiduous group of young
people than the kids at Houston Academy. Secondly, I think folks out there in
the general public would be shocked to know how many of our families make
tremendous sacrifices to allow their children to attend Houston Academy. Most
notably, we have scores of faculty children attending HA, and as I’m sure you
are aware, teachers around here are NOT typically found vacationing in the
Hamptons! Moreover, we work very hard
with families here to make HA affordable. Our Board is firmly committed to
offering financial aid to those who qualify, and our entire community is
committed to providing a diverse environment for our students. In any case, in
our capitalist republic having wealth is a sign of hard work, dedication, and
entrepreneurship – not something of which to be ashamed (but perhaps that’s too
political of a statement). As I’ve told
our students, there is nothing wrong with being born into a privileged environment. The important part of being
a person of privilege is to ACKNOWLEDGE that you are privileged, and act
according through service to others.
To return to the notion of embracing our excellence, we have
already established that HA is the most rigorous and finest education in the
Wiregrass. Why should our students be ashamed of that? They should be PROUD of
that! What our students go through on a daily basis is far more than the vast
majority of students in this country experience. Most students would neither
want to do what HA kids do, nor would they be capable of doing it.
Furthermore, our students do thousands of hours of community
service every year. They outwork their
opponents in practice and on the athletic field every single day. Last year, we
won two state championships in athletics and had a winning record in every single sport. Our band and chorus won national awards. Our
artists won regional competitions. Our ACT scores were the highest I’ve seen.
We had 52 students take 92 Advanced Placement exams in 12 different subject
areas. Our seniors earned $4.2 million in college scholarships.
What I want is for every one of our students, parents,
faculty and alumni to go out into the community and let everyone know that they
are a part of the HA family. I’d like us to proudly display our HA stickers on our
cars. I’d like us to wear our HA hats to
Westgate, and wear our HA shirts to the movies. I believe that when folks
actually see who we are and what we do, they can’t help but see what a
wonderful community we have. And if they
don’t see that, that’s their problem. Or,
as one of our students wrote in shoe polish on his car last year, “Don’t hate
on our excellence!”
