The Heroes of Allen Academy

Throughout my life I have always been blessed with excellent teachers. Unfortunately for them I am and have always been a terrible student. I believe they’d think otherwise, and have written as much in my senior yearbook. You see, it is not that I was tardy, disruptive, or unstudious. It is that with such a myriad of great instructors I should now be in a skyline penthouse, or lounging on some foreign beach counting millions of dollars. I am instead a college dropout pursuing an unreasonable career in writing. This is not to be counted as a failure though. I was given the tools, guidance, and support from my educators to pursue whatever I found fulfilling. I would not have achieved any modicum of success in my writing or my personal life without them.

You see at Allen Academy (the school I attended for both middle and high school) the staff worked tirelessly to ensure the students’ success. They not only prepared us for college and exams, but for the difficult journey of life. They took pride in ensuring that every student graduated, and that each student would at least attempt college or find a profession. I don’t think a single student paid the required application fees for any college they applied to thanks to the school. They were also extremely vocal and adamant about the scholarship, and grant programs available to us. Some of us students certainly wouldn’t have been able to attend college without that support. That was the magic of Allen Academy; the staff treated us more as family than nameless masses to be educated. As a student you knew they cared about your education and your wellbeing. They allowed us the space to be children, and the guidance to be adults. There were countless inside jokes, memorable lessons, and personal experiences built with these educators over the years. While the entirety of the staff was magnificent, I’d like to highlight the individuals that have impacted me the most. The instructors who gave an inquisitive and awkward boy the tools he needed to brave adulthood.

The Dean’s List

I have never actually attended a single class taught by Isaiah Pettway. By the time he entered my life he had already ascended from average life changing teacher, to the future shaping Dean of Students. I didn’t learn math, English, nor science from Mr. Pettway; I learned the keys to success. He was intelligent, stylish, and successful. As a young black boy with few role models these were qualities to strive for. He was the one who taught me the importance of punctuality. It was better to be early rather than late. That may seem common knowledge, but it was constant small and crucial gems like that which I have carried and implemented in my life with great success. To this day my mother holds him in high regard as an educator, though I can’t recall the two ever having a single conversation. She knew of his excellence through my own success, and the renown of our school. With him at the helm we students were allowed and encouraged to thrive. Thank you, Mr. Pettway. I am forever indebted to you.

More Than Math

Amanda Degain was one of my primary math teachers. I don’t recall enjoying math lessons, but I adored her as a teacher and person. She was understanding and entertaining, but still stern enough to give you a much-needed kick in the pants. She was someone who always kept it real with her students and we resonated with that. I don’t think she knows it, but she helped shape my worldview. Though she taught math she made it a point that we students knew what was going on in the world around us. She’d often play a news program aimed at children that gave us adolescents world news in a digestible format. That helped me understand that the world was so much bigger than a single student sitting in a classroom. It heightened my social and situational awareness. In addition to this she was one of the teachers I felt welcomed us students into adulthood. When we were children, we were treated as such, but as we grew she treated us with the respect that commanded. We were young, but not babes to be sheltered or coddled and she fully understood that. Thank you, Ms. Degain. I truly appreciate you.

Why Are Math Teachers So Intense?

There are few educators so feared and so beloved as Mrs. Braswell. I dare not even address her by first name here for fear of her wrath. At the time she was without a doubt the strictest teacher, yet genuinely one of the most caring. You may have dreaded her algebra tests, but you couldn’t help admiring and respecting her. You knew her harshness was a product of how much she cared about your success. You would be pushed, though only in pursuit of your potential. It was that push that taught me work ethic and focus. You couldn’t survive her class without either. Those traits have allowed me to persevere through all challenges in my life. And I must admit that even though I paint her to be this insurmountable fearsome force, she was prone to her softer moments. We could laugh with her, joke with her, and share our experiences. She was another instructor that I felt treated us with the dignity we deserved as we came of age. Thank you, Mrs. Braswell, and I’m sorry for the harsh words. You have impacted me more than you know.

Hanging with Mr. Cooper

John Cooper is hands down the coolest and most relaxed instructor I’ve ever had in my life. Having an English class with Coop (as we students called him) was like hanging with a knowledgeable older cousin. He was never too strict in his instruction, and yet somehow ensured you absorbed the lesson. He had a way of relating to us students as someone who was very much from a similar situation to our own as kids from urban areas. The most impactful moment I ever had with Coop was when I was having a particularly bad day. Contrary to earlier claims that day I was both disruptive and unstudious. I don’t recall what had set me off, but I know I had no business behaving that way. Mr. Cooper sent me outside the classroom and joined me shortly after. He stated quite simply “Hey man, why are you being such an asshole? It’s not like you”. I honestly had no reasonable answer, which prompted a moment of self-reflection and quelled whatever issue I had. His frankness and ability to relate to his students had stumped me. To this day whenever I’m in an unreasonably cranky mood Coop’s words echo in my head. I think that’s a level of self-reflection not many achieve and yet hanging with Mr. Cooper awoke that in me. Thanks Coop. I still think of the fun we had in your class and laugh.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Mark Moore has been many things in his time at Allen Academy: a coach, a teacher, a mentor. I am one of the many students he’s influenced in that time. At the time he was my physical education teacher. I was pathetically unathletic and very insecure about it. As such I definitely didn’t enjoy his class, though his humorous personality more than made up for it. Though I’ve never gained the motivation to be physically fit he did teach me self-confidence. As a scrawny and insecure kid, you can imagine I didn’t have much luck with girls. There was one day where my issue came to his attention, though I don’t remember how. His advice was to walk over to a group of girls and proudly proclaim “Bask in my glory!”. The suggestion was of course comical and impossible, but it held the underlying lesson of believing in yourself. It would be years before I fully embraced this lesson, and somehow during those years I have never forgotten that emboldening phrase. It’s a mantra of self-confidence that I would not have without Mr. Moore. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me and everyone else.

The Mysteries of Science and Kindness

When I think back on my relationship with Kimberly Ireland I’m flooded with the warmth of a teacher’s kindness. Thinking about it now she is perhaps the teacher I spent the most time with outside of classes. This is surprising because she taught physics and chemistry, the only classes I recall struggling with. Despite this I often found my way into her classroom at lunchtime to bother her. We used her room as the base for our student council meetings - another chance to bother her. And during senior year I would neglect my teacher’s aide duties (sorry Ms. Degain) by hiding out with Ireland. I believe I gravitated to her because I enjoyed her willingness to answer my endless questions with sincerity and kindness. As a boy I wanted to know everything, and I must have thought as a science teacher she knew everything. She did not, but what she didn’t know she encouraged me to discover for myself. It was experiences like this that permitted my natural inquisitiveness to flourish. Moments where she allowed and encouraged me to be myself impacted me more than I understood at the time. Thank you, Ms. Ireland. I love you more than I’m willing to put into words here.

All Grown Up

Unfortunately, Allen Academy has since closed, but the lessons I learned there will stay with me forever. I would not be the man I am today without them. I still fondly reminisce with high school friends about our time there, and the amazing connection we had with our teachers. I may not have used the more practical lessons to become a millionaire, but I became a well-rounded, happy and content adult. My life, and the lives of many others would have been worse off without Allen Academy. It was a culmination of many wonderful people who gave their best efforts for the sake of their students. I’d like to think our situation was rare, but it couldn’t possibly be. Those who taught me are still teaching, still guiding the future of the youth, and still giving students the love and care they need to thrive. I’m embarrassingly thankful to have had these people in my life. I hope this expresses even a fraction of my gratitude. Once again, thank you all.