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AVID pinning ceremony celebrates students’ determination
The eighth annual Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) pinning ceremony was held Thursday at Pinellas Park High where 103 seniors were honored for remaining committed to the program during their high school years. East Lake High had a separate pinning ceremony during its awards ceremony which was held the same evening.
In addition to the student achievement recognition, Erin Fitzgerald (pictured below) from Clearwater High was named the 2016 AVID Teacher of the Year.
In order to participate in the AVID pinning ceremony, seniors had to be in the program for at least two years and have taken three AP classes and at least four weighted classes during their high school career. A 3.0 or better unweighted GPA had to be maintained and the senior must have been accepted to a four-year university or the military. Participation in extracurricular activities was required and 25 hours of community services had to be completed.
Au’ Bryanna Clayton, a senior at Boca Ciega High and an AVID participant, was the keynote speaker and addressed her peers. Au’ Bryanna (pictured below) spoke of how AVID helped her. She now has a four-year scholarship to Florida State University.
AVID is a program that takes students with the potential and determination to go to college and places them in the rigorous courses required to get into four-year universities. In the AVID elective course, students are taught the skill sets necessary to be successful in those rigorous courses. These skills include solid note taking, organization, public speaking and responsibility.
AVID creates an atmosphere of positive peer pressure for the students, so they are pushing each other to strive for success rather than perpetuating failure.
Superintendent Michael Grego detailed during the pinning ceremony how he used being the first person in his family to go to college as motivation. He told the students that what they set their hearts to, they will accomplish.
“No matter what you put your mind to, you can do it,” Grego said. “As you move to the next level, use all the skills you have learned in AVID. You are more than prepared to excel.
In addition to the student achievement recognition, Erin Fitzgerald (pictured below) from Clearwater High was named the 2016 AVID Teacher of the Year.
In order to participate in the AVID pinning ceremony, seniors had to be in the program for at least two years and have taken three AP classes and at least four weighted classes during their high school career. A 3.0 or better unweighted GPA had to be maintained and the senior must have been accepted to a four-year university or the military. Participation in extracurricular activities was required and 25 hours of community services had to be completed.
Au’ Bryanna Clayton, a senior at Boca Ciega High and an AVID participant, was the keynote speaker and addressed her peers. Au’ Bryanna (pictured below) spoke of how AVID helped her. She now has a four-year scholarship to Florida State University.
AVID is a program that takes students with the potential and determination to go to college and places them in the rigorous courses required to get into four-year universities. In the AVID elective course, students are taught the skill sets necessary to be successful in those rigorous courses. These skills include solid note taking, organization, public speaking and responsibility.
AVID creates an atmosphere of positive peer pressure for the students, so they are pushing each other to strive for success rather than perpetuating failure.
Superintendent Michael Grego detailed during the pinning ceremony how he used being the first person in his family to go to college as motivation. He told the students that what they set their hearts to, they will accomplish.
“No matter what you put your mind to, you can do it,” Grego said. “As you move to the next level, use all the skills you have learned in AVID. You are more than prepared to excel.