A magnet school is developed to make students become responsible and to promote diversity. Athens Drive became magnet in the 2016-2017 school year. The school desired to become magnet to have additional resources and allow students to be open to new ideas like Global Health Initiatives. Teachers and administrators are hoping to see a positive impact on students.

“We have been the largest we have ever been since 1978,” said Tonya Hinton, Magnet Coordinator.

When the school became magnet it caused a growth spurt in population. Students at Athens Drive have come from all over the county. Students also come to Athens because it is their base school or they are interested in the opportunities it has to offer.

“This is not for just students in the academies, this is for everybody,” said Hinton.

Athens offers the Stem Academy and the Health Science Academy. Many people think that because of the medical science and global health initiatives theme of the school and the academics that it is all just about the medical field. This is not the case, students do not have to join the academy to be a magnet student. Even if students come to the school because it is their base school, they are still considered a magnet student.

“Coming up soon we will have a virtual reality lab where you can use Google glasses,” said Hinton.

Not only is the magnet theme changing the students, it is changing the technology. VR (Virtual Reality) will affect the school because kids can use it in about every class. It is a stimulation through the sense of sight.

“The drafting classes are going to be creating things in three dimensions,” said Hinton. Hopefully students are seeing changes in the classes. Athens wants to bring the theme in every class and one of them is drafting. Students will be creating creations in three dimension so they can see things come to life.

“I did research on thermoelectric generators which is a type of renewable energy,” said  Ross Kennel, Science teacher.

Kennel did an internship for North Carolina State University. He explained how it helped him connect to the magnet theme one hundred percent.  The theme is taking on the teachers to get more involved to.

“The more doors we have open the greater the opportunity for success,” said Ross Kennel.