Learning Today. Leading Tomorrow.

It’s more than just a catchphrase or a tagline. Learning today and leading tomorrow is part of our mission at George Walton Academy.

GWA students are encouraged to explore and try new things, discover their gifts and talents, ask lots of questions, and let their imaginations soar. This often leads to creative innovations and the passionate pursuit of new endeavors. Teachers and advisors foster this spirit of selfdiscovery with internships, mentorships, and exciting class projects.

Junior and seniors have the opportunity to spend several weeks in January as interns in fields they are considering for future professions. From veterinary hospitals,

Mia Smith, Dean of Students Matt Reynolds, Alex Zahradnik and Judge Robert Mumford - Mia and Alex spent their Winter Term interning at the Rockdale County Courthouse.

Artist Sarah Blackstone applies her talents honed in her art classes to create custom pieces for local families.

law firms and courtrooms, to pharmacies, accounting firms, and marketing agencies, students have the opportunity to gain real-world experience in a variety of industries.

Damaris Winters and Carter Payne pour coffee in their work with Java Dawgs, a student-run coffee shop created as a part of the business and marketing class.

As part of GWA’s business and marketing class, students developed and operate their own coffee shop. The Java Dawgs project allows students to gain experience working with suppliers, managing inventory and sales, developing marketing

strategies, and managing distribution. These dedicated entrepreneurs have set up a system to seamlessly take online orders and deliver beverages to students, faculty, and staff. Offerings include specialty coffee drinks, smoothies, tea, frosty lemonade, milkshakes, and hot chocolate. Sales have been robust and customers are raving in their reviews of this new student startup.

Talented artist Sarah Blackstone launched her own business by taking on commissions from local families for painting custom pieces. She credits art teacher Mr. Jameson with providing valuable advice and guidance as she has pursued this business venture and creative outlet. “I have learned how to price my work fairly for myself and get my artwork out into the world. It has been a wonderful experience learning from Mr. Jameson and pushing my art one step further,” said Blackstone.

GWA provides opportunities for students to strengthen their problem-solving and critical thinking skills while they build confidence and the ability to self-advocate. Many projects help students learn how to collaborate and work as a team as they bring concepts from a simple idea to the launch of a business. Graphic design students created unique restaurant concepts like the Hang 10 Beach Bar, Cuddle Cat Café and Chad’s Diner. After choosing a name for their business, they designed the logo, made a menu, and developed overall branding for the restaurant. They put together slide presentations for the class and shared their plans for the

Cooper Treadaway films a commercial as a part of the restaurant design project for graphic design class.

business and all aspects of the dining experience. To take the project one step further, they filmed a commercial for one of

the restaurants. Students wrote a script and planned out production details including costumes and props and then filmed on a green screen with equipment in GWA’s Mac Lab.

Rhiannon Williams, class of 2022, launched her own photography business and benefited from the knowledge and help of GWA’s photography teacher Brian Cole to understand how she should price her photography products and services. She has enjoyed photographing friends and new clients, building her business into a growing enterprise that allows her to express her

creativity. “As a photographer, I’m always searching for beautiful moments occurring in everyday life and view each photo shoot as an opportunity to capture those moments and share them with the world. This creativity has led me to many adventures and has given me the chance to collaborate with some truly talented individuals.”

Rhiannon Williams displays some of her photos during the spring art show. She runs her photography business using some of the skills and artistry learned in her photography classes.

It’s inspiring to see the imagination and determination of these young entrepreneurs as they begin to make their mark in the business world. Their entrepreneurial experiences demonstrate how learning today will enable them to lead tomorrow.