Jaden, Grade 12
I am an AACPS: Student, Brooklyn Park Middle School & North County High School
This fall semester of my senior year (2019) marks six years since I entered Brooklyn Park Middle School in the Performing and Visual Arts Program (PVA). My “prime” (lingo at BPMS meaning my area of study) was Creative Writing and Drama. I still remember the feeling of attending the orientation at Brooklyn Park for the new 6th graders. Surrounding me were my future best friends, teachers I would form close relationships with, and a school that would form the way I thought about my future…I just didn’t know it yet.
On that first day, I was completely frightened for what was to come. I had never been enrolled in a “special” program before, and I didn’t like the idea of standing out. This isn’t what I’m used to, I thought to myself. A similar feeling arose transferring into North County as a STEM freshman…and currently, while applying to colleges and making my way into senior year, I will say that a familiar feeling is lurking around the corner. But, my experiences in two magnet programs that AACPS has to offer taught me that the sky is not the limit and to dive into new situations headfirst. I kept an open mind shifting into 6th grade and used my experience as a PVA student when entering 9th. Attending Brooklyn Park and furthering my education in writing and acting jump started different experiences that my life in high school would bring.
It wasn’t until after I was promoted that I realized the uniqueness of PVA: a program like no other that taught me it was okay to be “different” and to think outside the box. I learned to treat people as I would want to be treated. Even if I did not use all of the specific concepts I learned from middle school while navigating a STEM high school experience, it was the foundation of the concepts that gave me a head start when I entered 9th grade. First and foremost, my writing skills were enhanced beyond my belief. Who knew my skills as a writer could improve so significantly in 3 short years? I was used to lengthy written pieces that my 9th grade English course would bring, and I knew how to handle constructive criticism when my writing could be improved. I was accustomed to using a computer for Microsoft and Google programs, learned about professionalism and respect in theater (which helped my overall professionalism when consulting with mentors/teachers), and a multitude of other tricks and tips that seemed to me like common sense. Thinking back, the skills I learned in PVA even helped me create different problem-based projects in PBL (Project Based Learning), a course all STEM students take in grades 9-12 at North County.
Every person’s high school experience is different, but in my case, two distinct AACPS programs (PVA and STEM) paved the way for me to continue a successful career in and after high school. I am currently a student intern at the AACPS Board of Education in the Partnerships, Development & Marketing Department and plan to attend a four-year university next fall to obtain a degree in Business with a concentration in Marketing.
Looking back, I’m glad I didn’t overlook the opportunity to audition/apply to magnet programs that AACPS has to offer. The people I met in both Brooklyn Park’s PVA program and my first 3 years of STEM at North County shifted my thought process when it came to the concept of education. I learned to take risks in a way that I never would have had I not been enrolled in such programs that propel students forward and cultivate creative minds.
