Whether the school year ends with the ring of a bell, with the final period written on a paper, or with the last “Submit”-button clicked on a screen, summertime offers compelling opportunities for rest and recreation. It also provides opportunities for personal development. Many Jackson Academy students take advantage of all the possibilities summer has to offer, attending summer camps, leadership institutes, vacationing with friends and family, and more. Today we share the experiences of four students who used the summer break to deepen learning, strengthen skills, meet new friends, and serve in their community.
Jeffrey Gao and Walker Lake
Mississippi Basketball Athletics (MBA) Enrichment Summer Camp
Jeffrey and Walker volunteered their time to teach STEM for middle school students. Through their experiences, they learned to plan lessons, present materials, and inspire a love of learning.
How do you keep students focused? How do you find time to plan a lesson when you’re constantly teaching? These were two of the many questions that Jeffrey and Walker learned to answer through their experiences as volunteer STEM teachers at MBA. A rewards system involving candy proved effective for inspiring students to focus, but the solution was simple perseverance when it came to planning, reviewing, and gathering supplies for lessons. “The most rewarding aspect for me personally was when the kids finally understood a concept,” said Jeffrey. “Seeing the occasional ‘light bulb’ go off above their heads gave me the most excitement.” Jeffrey and Walker tasked their students with projects like building bridges from popsicle sticks or creating electromagnets out of nails, copper wire, and batteries. Following his summer of teaching, Walker said, “I do not think I will ever cease to be amazed by how much love, passion, and joy JA teachers pour into students. … Teachers touch lives in more ways than anyone could ever imagine.” Inspired by their experiences from the summer, Jeffrey and Walker entered the school year with a new perspective and something to look forward to: “Overall, the summer camp was a great experience for me, Walker, and the kids there,” Jeffrey said. “I plan on going back and teaching again next summer.”
Addie Elliott
Mississippi Lions All-State Band
Invited to participate in the prestigious marching band program, Addie played in concerts throughout Poplarville, Brandon, Hernando, and marched through Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.
Addie Elliott earned her place in the Mississippi Lions All-State Band through hard work and perseverance. She was determined to better herself as a musician and gain experience, quickly learning new music and practicing collaboration with other musicians. “The week where we trained for our show was very challenging,” she said. “It pushed me to my limits, and I learned a lot.” But the hours of rehearsal were worth it, not only in the end but throughout the entire process. “Getting to play with people who cared about music as much as I do was very rewarding, and I hope to do it again sometime,” Addie said. She returned home with strengthened grit and resilience, a renewed determination to develop as a musician, and new friends throughout the state of Mississippi. She hopes to see other Raiders participate in the program in the future, saying, “The experience is more than I ever thought it would be, and it is truly amazing.”
Anna Grace Doggett
The Cincinnati Ballet Summer Dance Intensive
Anna Grace earned invitations to several prestigious American ballet companies’ summer intensives. Attending the Cincinnati Ballet Summer Dance Intensive presented her with many memorable opportunities – including being taught by one of her favorite professional dancers, former New York City Ballet soloist Kathryn Morgan.
After auditioning in a plastic bubble while being observed by representatives from ballet companies throughout the United States via Zoom, Anna Grace Doggett had her pick of summer dance programs. She received invitations from every school that watched her audition, including the Joffrey Ballet, BalletMet, Oklahoma Ballet, and Sarasota Ballet, to name a few. She chose to attend the Cincinnati Ballet’s strong classical training program, which had the bonus of being less than 30 minutes from family friends. While there, she spent eight hours a day practicing ballet, pointe, variations, pilates, and going through conditioning training. By the time she left, she had learned several classical ballet solos essential to pre-professional training. “I believe that you don’t grow in your comfort zone,” Anna Grace said, reflecting on her choice to spend three weeks in rigorous training. “Eleanor Roosevelt once said that you should do one thing every day that scares you. I chose a summer intensive at a school I had never visited with faculty I had never met in a class full of strangers. It allowed me to focus on pushing myself out of my comfort zone and develop greater confidence in my abilities that will carry me through future auditions and performances.”
