When school started at the end of August, a brand new group of Ginn Men entered our doors and the brotherhood of the Class of 2016 started to take shape. Our fifty-one Freshmen come from all over the Cleveland area, from different backgrounds, and with a diverse range of big dreams.
Ninth graders have the biggest adjustment each year as they are typically transitioning from a co-ed school to our all-male Academy, often not knowing anyone, and adapting to a whole new set of stringent expectations. Depending on where they come from, some of our boys might take up to 3 RTA buses to arrive at school on time each morning. Between the school's high standards and what it takes to simply get here every day, it takes courage and commitment to be a Ginn Man, and we're proud of how well this group is coming together already this year.
Five of the boys took some time last week to talk about what brought them to GA and where they see themselves going in four more years. Rajeem has wanted to be a commercial pilot since he was 8 years old and came to the Academy to better focus on his studies. "My mom wants me to go here because she knows there are a lot of opportunities for me," he says. Ben wants to be a public defender, inspired by a situation that his cousin is in in Florida, and Howard plans to explore the field of science. "I like doing all of the labs and experiments and stuff. I like testing things," he explains. Howard is actually the nephew of James Gordon, a member of our first ever graduating class, now playing football at the University of Toledo. Another of our ninth graders, Darnell, is inspired by police officers and plans to join a force in Florida after he graduates. "I would risk my life to save others," he says. Hard work and dedication are key to Christian who either wants to be a professional basketball player or an entrepreneur.
All of the young men mentioned better focus as the main reason that they chose The Ginn Academy. They all agreed that it was strange at first to see only male faces, but that they've quickly adapted. "Some of the others wanted to quit at first," explains Ben, "But no one did and now we all like it. We're developing a brotherhood." Outside of school, interests revolve around sports and video games, some skateboarding, and a few of the boys are very into chess. This group, like the others before them, holds a lot of promise. We hope you'll tune in for the next four years to see who they become.
Thank you for your interest in our school!
Kind Regards from The Ginn Academy
