What started as a discussion over coffee, shortly after became reality when Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy opened its doors to 75 students back in July 2009. Now, celebrating its 10th school year, the academy has grown to serve 350 students each day.
"Boasting 90 percent graduation and college-going rates, CGLA has, fittingly, begun focusing on how to extend relationships with graduates beyond Chattanooga," officials said. This past August the school found a viable solution - the academy will launch its official "Alumnae Association" on Wednesday.
"For years, many of CGLA’s faculty and staff have stayed in close touch with the school’s graduates, and the idea of an Alumnae Association has often been discussed," officials said.
According to school officials, the timing was not right before. “We did not want to rush into this,” said CGLA’s Chief Executive Officer Dr. Elaine Swafford. “We want the association to be something that benefits our alumnae, so making sure the proper tools were in place was essential.”
Since initial talks, the school has grown its staff and expanded its campus, and the team feels better equipped to move forward with the idea.
"Now, as we celebrate our tenth anniversary, we could not ask for a better time to launch the program,” said Dr. Swafford. “This is a great way to broaden our support for our school and students. I am excited to witness the impact the Alumnae Association will have on all of our girls.”
Since sharing the news, CGLA has received a lot of positive feedback from graduates and even had alumnae, whose contact information had not been updated, reach out to the school about the program buzz.
“CGLA is not just a school, it’s a family,” said recent graduate Aareon Reed, who is excited about the Alumnae Association.
The association is slated to launch on Wednesday with a breakfast event. Graduates will step back on campus to talk with current juniors and seniors about their college experiences and offer them advice as they will soon begin their personal journey to post-secondary education.