This week we are highlighting four outstanding 8th grade students in the Academy for Gifted and Talented (AGT) at Williams Middle School. Each of these students have demonstrated excellence and have benefited greatly from the specialized magnet pathway that AGT offers.
Rhylan Abbott has been a member of the magnet ambassadors, a group of students that help teach other students in the district about their selected magnet program. He also serves as the eighth grade representative on the Student Government Association (SGA) and participates in the robotic club, where he has been entered into the regional robotics competition. In one of his project-based learning assignments at AGT, Rhylan has also created his own video game. He says it was “a really fun project that allowed me to express my creativity.”
Madilynn Brewer is also a member of the magnet ambassadors, was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society and the National STEM Honor Society, and has also been on the academic team which went undefeated this year and was slated to attend regionals as a result. She has participated in a variety of projects at AGT such as turning the epic of Gilgamesh into a comic book, or writing a research capstone about how socio-cultural factors play a role in the development of music.
Naomi Coleman is a magnet ambassador, was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society and the National STEM Honor Society, and also participates on the track team at Williams where last year the girls placed fourth in the city championship. She says, “It’s really cool that we can be involved in Williams Middle School sports.”
Marshall Parr has been a member of the academic team since 6th grade and also participated in future city, where students model plans for a future city. He has also been a part of the robotics team and the math team, where he won first place individual for 8th grade at a recent math competition. Marshall has also been inducted into the National Junior Honor Society and National STEM Honor Society.
All four of these students attributed much of their success to the magnet program at AGT. Rebecca Malone, a math teacher at AGT, says that the program is specifically geared for gifted and talented students across the district which focuses on STEM learning through project based learning, spaces designed for collaborative growth, and she adds that it is a very closely-knit community. “Students get to build relationships and push boundaries that they may not be comfortable doing elsewhere,” she adds.
Marshall Parr calls AGT a “tight knight community” where “you get to know everyone fairly well.” Naomi says that when she was younger, she wasn’t the most confident person but the teachers and friends she met at AGT helped her get the confidence to do things she never thought she would. According to Madilyn Brewer, “you’ll find yourself… and you’ll find your people,” when you come to AGT.
Learn more about the program on the Williams Middle AGT website.