Youngkin Attends Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for Regional Lab High School
The Academy of Innovation and Technology at the University of Mary Washington welcomed its inaugural freshman class this year.
By Ky Huynh
INTERN
The Academy of Technology and Innovation at the University of Mary Washington held a dedication ceremony and ribbon-cutting last week, welcoming local high school students, parents, and the UMW Board of Visitors, as well as UMW President Troy Paino and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin.
The regional high school, located in Stafford Campus, offers high school students a chance to focus on computer and data science, and offers UMW College of Education students an opportunity to teach in a classroom environment to prepare for their careers.
At the ribbon cutting on Thursday, UMW provost Tim O’Donnell welcomed the audience with a brief overview of ATI-UMW.
“Getting to this day involved the hard work and dedication of many individuals across our region and here at the university,” he said. “This has been a partnership across our region and throughout this university and the school districts that are here today.”
The regional high school will enroll students from the City of Fredericksburg, as well as Caroline, King George, Orange, and Stafford Counties.
Following O'Donnell's introduction, Executive Director of ATI-UMW, Rebecca Towery, took the podium to express her thanks.
“I cannot thank our families and our students enough for being willing to take this leap with us and seeing not only the potential for benefit now, but the potential for benefit to our community for years to come,” said Towery.
O’Donnell then introduced Daniel Hornick, the superintendent of Orange County Public Schools. Hornick emphasized the opportunities ATI-UMW presents for students to learn from the best, to have personalized education focused on emerging technologies that will impact students' lives in the future.
“These students are going to be prepared, regardless of whether they attend a four-year institution, a two-year institution, or whether they decide to go to a technical school, a trade school or into the workforce,” said Hornick.
He continued, “This is a huge step for Orange, as we represent kind of central rural Virginia, and it's a huge step for this region as we honor our commitment to making sure we provide the best education and the most personalized education to our students.”
A member of the Stafford County School Board, Susan Randall, commented on the importance of community collaboration in creating this program.
“We appreciate all the input and all the support from all the organizations that collaborated and said yes,” Randall added.
By partnering with the UMW College of Education, faculty members will be able to conduct contextualized research to help address and solve real-life challenges. As part of this, COE students can participate in clinical experiences, practica, and internships to prepare them for teaching careers.
“Through these connections to practice my faculty—my wonderful faculty—come away with a much richer understanding of the work that teachers do, and it informs our teacher preparation,” said Pete Kelly, dean of the UMW COE.
“It makes us better,” he added.
Rector and UMW alum Lee Murray expressed his gratitude to Youngkin and administrators before Paino stepped to the podium.
Paino said that when work on ATI was beginning, he had concerns about how the team would get there and bring people together to solve hard problems.
“I really didn't think it was possible, but this is a testament to partnerships that began even before that vision was articulated,” said Paino. “There were some pretty tough days making this happen, but because we had that requisite trust in one another, and we believed in your vision, [we were successful].”
Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Rogstad Guidera expressed her gratitude to parents for enrolling their children, as well as to educators for partnering and teaching in different environments.
“It takes guts to send your child to a new school. It takes guts to say, ‘I'm going to change how I teach. I'm going to do things differently,’” said Guidera.
Youngkin began his remarks by acknowledging the 80 pioneer students who have invested and contributed to learning at ATI-UMW.
“So, I'm going to ask you again, if you are one of our pioneers, one of our students, please stand up and let us clap for you,” said Younkin.
Following that, he discussed how ATI-UMW reflects the efforts of everyone who has helped bring the school together.
“This academy reflects so much of all of you, and so our school divisions that have all come together,” said Youngkin.
Youngkin asked the audience: “What exactly is a lab school?”
“It is absolutely an academy of innovation, an academy of aspiration, an academy of opportunity—and you can find one right over on the campus of Mary Washington,” said Youngkin.
Students will spend the day at ATI-UMW and then return to their local high school to participate in after-school activities and sports. Enrolled students can not only pursue a high school diploma but will also be eligible for a general studies associate or an associate degree in computer science upon graduation.
“I came here to get my associates,” said student Samuel Acquah. “I think [ATI-UMW] is a community and a home.”
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