For the first time ever, Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy will host a College Signing Day for the graduating class of 2018. The event will take place on May 3 at 9 a.m. in the Hutton Gymnasium, and CGLA parents will be invited to attend. The students, all of whom plan to attend college this coming fall, will commit to graduating from their school of choice at College Signing Day.
While this will be the first time the all-girls public charter school has hosted the event, having students commit to creating a brighter future for themselves is nothing new for CGLA, officials said. “We have always worked to instill confidence in our girls and encouraged them to see themselves as successful, educated women” said the school’s COO Justin Booker. “Each day we welcome bright and capable girls to CGLA, and it’s been so amazing to witness them realize that.”
"Founded on the mission of providing young women with a rigorous college preparatory education in a supportive environment, CGLA has formed various support groups to ensure student success and college attendance. From the Empower Mentoring Program to tutoring, students are encouraged to change their outlook on what the future holds, and college has gone from being a distant dream to an attainable goal," officials said.
“College Signing Day is a moment for our community to pause and recognize students for the hard work they have put in. It is a day to show their friends and family that they have reached their goals and are ready to embrace the next step in their lives” said Ashley Hale, CGLA’s College Access advisor. “Our hope is that CGLA's College Signing Day will celebrate the current graduating class and inspire future generations to work hard so they also reach their goals and aspirations.”
CGLA students have been accepted to various colleges and universities such as The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Georgia Tech and Berea College in Kentucky. Senior students are slated to graduate from the academy on Friday, May 11. The ceremony will also be held in the Hutton Gymnasium, 1800 Vance Ave.