Clarke Central High School counselor and Gifted Minorities Achieving co-adviser KanikaBarnett-Jewell (far right) speaks at a GMA meeting on Feb. 27. Barnett works with counselor and GMA co-adviser Ashlee Perry to support students of color through GMA. “I wanna make sure that (gifted students of color) have a safe space just to feel heard and to relate to other students who might be having similar experiences,” Perry said. Photo by Kelly Fulford
Gifted Minorities Achieving, a student-led organization at Clarke Central High School, works to support and bring together minority students.
Gifted Minorities Achieving was started at Clarke Central High School in the 2015-16 school year by former counselors Heidi Nibbelink and Dr. Susan Strickland, along with former foreign language department teacher Larissa Jean.
The organization’s mission statement as developed by the founders stated, “This CCHS Initiative provides support for our students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds who have been identified as gifted or have the potential to take advanced or rigorous course work here at CCHS.”
As GMA has developed through the years, its personnel has changed. This school year, counselors Dr. Ashlee Perry and Kanika Barnett-Jewell and English department co-chair David Ragsdale have worked together as co-advisers of GMA to revamp the organization by bringing minority students together and providing them with new opportunities.
Senior and third-year GMA member Aniya Willis has witnessed this transition.
“(My junior year) it kind of switched over and with (Jean) it was more like goals, but with Ragsdale, it was more of, ‘OK, we have goals. How are we gonna get them done? Like, what are we doing to get those goals accomplished?’ And I became more focused somewhat,” Willis said. “Ragsdale’s more on you and that’s what keeps me straight, because I’m easily distracted and I could fall off-track, but Ragsdale’s there to make sure you’re not gonna fall off-track.”
Along with her co-advisers, Perry has worked to better organize the group.
“What I have been told by my co-advisers or my colleagues is that student attendance was not as consistent in past years. Programming in some regards, based on outside collaborations that were supposed to be taking place, was not consistent in some ways,” Perry said. “I think this year, the biggest difference is just intentionality. We try to be very intentional about what we offer students, how we advertise, how we check in, and just making sure that the meetings are meaningful so that students want to come.”
Clarke Central High School counselor and Gifted Minorities Achieving co-adviser Ashlee Perry and GMA members senior Yocelin Elizarraras and senior Hsa Moo (left to right) participate in a GMA meeting on Feb. 27. Moo joined the organization this school year and feels it has benefited her greatly. “GMA means being part of the minority group, being someone, being heard,” Moo said. “Seeing that there’s other minorities coming together to talk about their future and stuff makes me happy.” Photo by Kelly Fulford
Perry says that another difference in GMA this year has been in the recruiting process.
“I think this year we’re really trying to (identify) students of color that who could potentially be taking some of the AP classes, the advanced classes, some of the more rigorous classes,” Perry said. “So, (we want) to identify those students and encourage them to take the classes, but then also provide a safe space where they feel supported if they do attempt a class and just to have someone to check in with and things of that nature.”
Some GMA members visited Fort Valley State University on Dec. 5, 2018, marking the organization’s first cost-free trip to tour a school.
“The kids who went said that they really enjoyed it. They really enjoyed, of course, just being able to walk around campus, eating in the dining hall of course, but just to sort of experience what college life could possibly look like,” Perry said.
Perry was glad for students to have the opportunity to visit a historically black university.
“For some students, just being at a historically black college or university was huge,” Perry said. “Because, we’re in a setting now where we have a lot more diversity, but there are some students who are excited about potentially going to a school where their whole college experience is gonna really be based on being affirmed as a black person, so many of them are really excited about it and they enjoyed it thoroughly.”
Senior and GMA member Hsa Moo attended the visit to FVSU and says it opened her eyes to different opportunities she can explore in college.
“They had sororities and fraternities and they did dances, so that gave me an idea of what I wanted to do in college, like do a sorority also,” Moo said. “Everybody was friendly. They were welcoming and they were very happy.”
Perry says that, depending on students’ availability and funding, there may be another college visit coming up for GMA members and other high-achieving minority students.
“There’s actually been some discussion of a potential trip over the summer. It’s a little bit trickier to lock in students over the summer, but if not, and if the funds are still available, then potentially in the fall,” Perry said. “We’re definitely appreciative of the funding source that we’ve had through (the Local School Governance Team) to take the students, and hopefully those funds will still be available, but I don’t know about that.”
Willis has found fellowship among students of color who can sometimes feel out of place in higher-level classes that are mostly populated by white students.
“(This year) we’ve been focusing on how we are a minority group and how being in these advanced classes can feel a little weird because you are a minority and you don’t see the people of the same color as yourself,” Willis said. “I know I felt like that in the beginning of the school year when I had my (AP Calculus) class. I was the only black kid in there and it was kind of awkward. I sat in the back, but I ended up moving to the front and ended up having bonds with a lot of the students in the class. I’m not in the class anymore, but I still talk to the people that’s in the class. It was a really good experience.”
Perry plans to continue to support minority students through GMA for the remainder of the 2018-19 school year and in future years, as well.
“Last year, I think (GMA members) also had opportunities to process the feelings behind and the emotions behind being a person of color and feeling lesser-than a lot, and we’ve tried to really emulate that this year, but also just provide that space for them just to be — to cry, to be happy, to be sad — to feel however they feel around being a person of color who is high achieving,” Perry said.
