More than 200 Academy Park High School students came to school on Saturday to learn about 50 different professions from people who once sat in their seats.
In the 12th rendition of the What’s Your Passion? Local Ideas Festival, Academy Park alum ranging from corporate executives to aerospace engineers to registered nurses and lawyers and a judge came to share about their jobs and answer questions from students considering various careers.
The What’s Your Passion? Local Ideas Festival began at Academy Park High School 12 years ago after then-Academy Park senior Victor Ariyo was selected as one of 12 juniors nationwide into the Bezos Family Foundation Scholar program. Teaming up with math teacher Susan Reutter and other students like Nasir Cooper, they created the daylong festival to introduce Academy Park students to former alums as a way for them to see a variety of career paths and network.
“It was a kid your age who had an idea,” Reutter told the students in attendance Saturday. “It was such a good idea that 12 years later we’re still doing it. So don’t think that as a teenager you can’t make decisions that can effect everybody. This is a pretty awesome thing that came from a junior in high school.”
The alumni ranged from 1980’s graduates to one from 2024 with a variety of high school experiences: some graduated at the top of their class, some barely made it to graduation and a couple who didn’t.
What they all had in common Saturday, in addition to their connection with Academy Park, was they all had reached success in their careers.
The 50 alum were clustered into eight categories: business, military, social services, trades, the arts, education, medical and law. Students rotated in classrooms to get a chance to hear from all of them.
Reutter expressed gratitude for them all as she shared her vision for the day for the students in attendance.
“For the kids, I want them thinking about life and what happens after high school,” she said. “That’s part of why this whole thing was created. What happens next? … Or maybe they’re going to talk to an adult who faced a similar struggle that they’re going through right now and just to hear from someone who’s not a teacher or parent that ‘You can do it’ and ‘There’s hope’ and ‘Look at me.’ “
District Judge Tammi Forbes of Darby hands the microphone over to Chris Dyer at Academy Park High School on Saturday with teacher Susan Reutter on the right. (KATHLEEN E. CAREY – DAILY TIMES)
Students were first introduced to the alum who shared their connections to the school.
Michele McGowan, vice president of the Southeast Delco School Board, was also a part of Academy Park class of 1996.
“I am born, bred and raised my family here in Southeast Delco,” she said. “I am passionate about helping every one of you guys succeed. I can’t wait to see you guys come back and stand right where we are today, doing the very things that we are doing: shaping the youth of the next generation.”
A 1998 Academy Park alum, Edward Roth, principal of Penncrest High School, had no shortage of pride for his alma mater.
“I am Academy Park made,” Roth told the students. “This place made me who I am, so love who you are.”
A 2015 Academy Park alum, Nasir Cooper was part of the original group that created the festival that he said was created with a lot of intention. Now, he’s a client service excellence representative for Vanguard.
Nasir Cooper was one of the co-founders of the What’s Your Passion? Local Ideas Festival as an Academy Park High School student and has now returned as a Vanguard employee. (KATHLEEN E. CAREY – DAILY TIMES)
He shared how the festival impacted him, including when he saw it in the Delaware County Daily Times.
“I … feel extremely honored and excited because we did something that helped change the perception of our high school,” Cooper said. “There was living proof that Academy Park students can make over six figures, can be successful actors, musicians and photographers, can be homicide detectives, can work for one of the top financial companies in the world, can be teachers, lawyers, electricians and doctors. The possibilities are literally endless.
“This community,” he continued, “is full of people that are something to this world. We are important. I would not trade that day for anything.”
Academy Park High School held its 12th What’s Your Passion? Local Ideas Festival on Saturday and more than 200 students attended. (KATHLEEN E. CAREY – DAILY TIMES)
On Saturday, he wanted to pay it forward as he joined the other alumni in the business classroom sharing with students their experiences.
“It’s actually incredible to feel like I can still make an impact at this point in my life,” Cooper said of his interaction with the students in the midst of the breakout sessions with students. “When I was young, I’m like I have ideas like this or that. It’s dope … and now, I can actually take the experience and knowledge and put the ideas together.”
He shared what he hoped the students absorbed from the day.
“I want them to be like that each of them can create impact not only within their community but throughout the world,” Cooper said. “Since then, I’ve been to Spain, I’ve been to LA, I’ve been to Florida. I’ve been to a lot of different places and I feel like I carry my community with me … Definitely keep that in mind and bring those experiences back. Make sure you understand you’re important, really understand that you’re important and carry that with you and let it light you.”
The alum said he wanted the good vibes to keep going.
“Keep pouring into the community,” Cooper said. “Each alumni here has so much to offer and that’s an understatement. They have so much to offer just throughout life, just gems about business/career, about perseverance, about being persistent. Make sure you take this moment, use this moment, make a connection, (and) you further that connection as much as possible.”
Rajeena Humphrey, center, talks to Academy Park High School students during the What’s Your Passion? Local Ideas Festival on Saturday. (KATHLEEN E. CAREY – DAILY TIMES)
Students at the festival talked about their thoughts on the day.
“I think this is a great event to get students who don’t know what they want to do in their future,” Academy Park junior Abdul Kenneth said, noting all of the successful careers that were put on display. “It gets them to network and lead them on a path in the future to what they want to study in college and what job they want.”
Academy Park sophomore Shiann Smith said, “I like it. It’s teaching me a lot about home health care. I want to do that. I’m (also) learning stuff that I never knew before.”