Ben Barber Innovation Academy creates a gateway for scholars to gain access and real-world experience in future careers. Students from all high schools such as Lake Ridge, Timberview, and Mansfield High School can all come together at Ben Barber and take a variety of upscaled classes. Certain courses at Ben Barber also allow students to gain certifications for many different fields of study. Alongside these classes, this academy allows students to join after-school clubs where they have the opportunity to gain networking opportunities, new possible life-long friendships, new and enhanced skill sets, and memories that can last a lifetime. 

Participating in different organizations and programs allows many to create new relationships and expand their book of peers. Gaining these new friendships can allow one new opportunity and allow them to learn things about others and themselves that they might not have known beforehand as these people can unlock hidden qualities in a person. Junior Michael Forte from Frontier STEM Academy enjoys participating in DECA and Culinary Competition Club due to all of the helpful benefits that these organizations offer their students.

“With the culinary one, I am there every single day at this points, so I would say that I made pretty good connections with everyone, not only the instructors but also the students. You know, second family as they say. And then DECA, you just learned a lot of people meet a lot of people lots of networking opportunities, and also it gives a lot of opportunities for lots of business stuff and networking, things like that,” said Forte.

Joining these organizations can give students one-on-one time with their instructors and allow them to enhance and sharpen their skill sets. This more focused time can lead to students being ahead in class, not needing as much help, and allowing them to help their peers as well. Forte wants to be able to gain traction in his classes, so joining these activities gives him the perfect opportunity to do exactly that.

“These clubs, they just teach you more than what the classroom teaches. It gives you more in-depth knowledge of what you need to know. As a chef or as a businessman, there’s just so many more things that you can learn from being in here and giving that extra time to these extracurricular club, you could say, and also they’re just a good use of time,” said Forte.

Joining extracurricular activities leads to new relationships and new experiences for a student. While just going to school and classes, students can meet new people and create new relationships, participating in these other events can also lead to more memorable experiences as well. Junior Arian Rodriguez from Timberview High School appreciates gaining new experiences and opportunities from DECA.

“DECA has been an amazing experience. I was invited to join our national qualifiers and attend a leadership development course, which taught me a lot of stuff about being a leader. And attending the International Career Development Conference that is hosted yearly by the DECA organization was an incredible opportunity to not only meet new people and network but also have so much fun and make some amazing friends,” said Rodriguez.

Sometimes graduated students come back to their clubs years later to mentor, greet their former sponsors, and see how the club has developed over the years. Mentor Jasmin Baker was a past competitor for the Culinary Competition Club’s ProStart Restaurant Management team. Baker wants the students attending the club to be comfortable and excited to show up every day.

“Some may say I have committed too much. I definitely have spent a lot of money, time, and effort into the students. I want to see them succeed, I want to see them grow, and I want them to come to club knowing that Chef Jasmin always has their back no matter what,” said Baker.  “The amount of effort and commitment I have put in doesn’t always show until later down the line, but what I can say is I have helped multiple students overcome their own shortcomings, win trophies, win prize money for the school, and teach them different techniques and lessons in order to become a better cook. It has not helped me succeed in a tangible way honestly, it has more so helped me grow as a person, build relationships, and go out and learn more so I can bring the knowledge back to the club and help them.”

Ben Barber’s EKG course gives students the opportunity to stay after school and study their curriculum for the end of the course exam. This exam will allow these students to gain a certification that can be beneficial to them later in life. Junior Jacky Dao from Mansfield High School appreciates the connections that EKG offers.

“It’s helped me build a strong relationship where we can learn together between me and others along with helping me reconnect with old friends. It’s allowed me to build connections with others who will eventually venture into different medical careers,” said Dao.

Ben Barber Innovation Academy has many benefits for students and allows them to excel in a variety of programs of study. Extracurricular activities can aid students’ learning pace in class, and networking, allowing them to gain real-world experience, and prepare them for a future career.