20 School of Choice
November 11, 2021
A DIFFERENT KIND OF JUNGLE
Four guiding principles that have built a unique educational opportunity by Sophia Krout Jefferson Academy Senior There is just something slightly different about Jefferson Academy, you sense it as soon as you walk in the door. It really isn’t something you can define or even point to, but you know that you have entered a rare school with a unique student body and faculty. Part of what creates that distinctiveness are the four underlying principles that serve as the foundation of the school’s mission: Excellence, Inspiration, Character, and Integrity. They serve to guide all aspects of the community and the relationships that are created, which culminates in a home for all those who choose to join.
man last year. “I think now everyone fits together, everyone is really inclusive. There’s not really any exclusion or anything. I think everyone’s just a big family on the soccer team. Especially me being a freshman last year; I was playing varsity and it was really nerve-wracking.” As Helen Stegner explains, “everyone’s definition of excellence is different,” but at Jefferson Academy, students strive to be involved and engaging young people. This ambition and passion are what make
Sports in particular inspire students to reach their full potential through hard work. “I know in past years JA won the state championship, so that’s also an inspiration because you want to be on the team that wins the state championship too, you want to help do that,’’ commented Gagliano on the girls varsity soccer team. Through the art programs, students are also able to push themselves out of their comfort zones. Senior Diego Saenz has had little experience with
EXCELLENCE Imagine the perfect student, straight A’s in college-level courses, varsity positions on the soccer and basketball teams, president of two clubs, a delight to have in class, and entirely impressive. This is not excellence. High academic achievement, impressive athletic ability, and strong community involvement are all traits that Jefferson Academy (JA) students are proud to have, but what makes a person excellent at JA is so much greater than a report card. As junior and varsity soccer player Helen Stegner explains it, “Excellence is just holding yourself to the highest standard you possibly can and being able to do the most you can in a positive way.” Through academics, students are able to foster greater ambition. “Personally I think academics isn’t what makes somebody excellent. I think...I’ve always seen academics as a curiosity. It doesn’t have to be defined by GPA or just a grade or number, it’s just the drive for curiosity,” says senior Diego Saenz. Students embody this curiosity in other aspects of their lives and extracurriculars. “I think it [classwork at JA] makes you strive to be the best you can be, to rise to your fullest potential,” commented freshman Natasha Paul. Participation and involvement in your community is the foundation of a high-achieving student’s education. The girls soccer team has forged a strong community of underclassmen and older students in order to succeed in athletics. Sophomore Gianna Gagliano made the varsity soccer team as a fresh-
importantly, they learn to inspire and motivate themselves.
CHARACTER A good student can be found almost anywhere. Jefferson Academy students are surely academically motivated, but who they are inside and outside of the classroom is much more impressive than their scholarly accomplishments. “You can be on a sports team, you can be in an academic class, you can take all these classes, you can be in a club, but without character it doesn’t really mean anything if you’re walking around being a jerk to everyone,” says Stegner. An important part of character is your mindset. Students at JA maintain an open and positive mindset. “With cross country it just helped me mentally. I used to be like, ‘Oh no, I can’t do this’ and yeah I had a negative mindset, but with cross country it’s really grown my positivity,” says senior Diego Saenz. In the classroom students learn to work with and support each other. “If you win a game, or lose a game, your character can be shown through how you react to that,” remarked Gagliano. Students at Jefferson Academy care about their impact on others. By learning to be the best they can be academically, they also learn how to be the best they can be in the real world. “The resumé can say a lot about you, but your character overall is what really matters,” says junior Helen Stegner.
INTEGRITY
a JA student excellent, not just their academic achievement.
INSPIRATION Why do you do the things you do? What drives you to pursue anything? Students at Jefferson Academy learn how to be inspired and be self-starters through their courses, athletics, clubs, and artistic ambitions. “I think drive and hard work are instilled in a lot of the students, and that’s one of the things that keeps me in all the things I do and inspires me to do the things I do every day,” says junior Helen Stegner. “I feel to be inspired is to be motivated,” commented Gagliano.
musical theatre prior to this year, but joining the school musical has emboldened him. “What I can say about theatre, is in a theatre environment everyone’s pretty much accepting and it doesn’t feel like you’re put in a spotlight. It feels like you belong with other people,” remarked Saenz. An incredibly inspiring aspect of JA is the teachers and staff. “I feel that a lot of the staff and teachers here are really there to inspire you to reach that full potential of yours and actually make you strive for your greatest,” remarked freshman Natasha Paul. Jefferson Academy students are inspired by their academics, athletics and extracurriculars, but more
Accepting a fair loss in a soccer game, holding yourself accountable for something said to another student, being responsible for your academic growth or shortcomings there are any number of ways that a JA student shows integrity. Outside of the school building, students hold themselves accountable for their actions in the world around them. “I think it means just being responsible with your actions, and realizing that sometimes you might hurt others and you just have to say sorry,” says senior Diego Saenz. Jefferson Academy students are proud of the things that they do; they work hard for every aspect of personal growth. “I think that integrity is getting where you are through your own hard work and through your own effort,” stated Gagliano. Integrity means many different things to Jefferson Academy students, but holding yourself accountable is crucial for each and every student. “Integrity is doing the right thing when nobody’s watching,” commented JA seventh grader Olivia Burgower.
Choice Enrollment Opens December 13th - Apply at secondary.jajags.com
