National security strategy hits road

The University of North Georgia's (UNG) strategic big bet to get in the national security game took its leaders on the road to local high schools to discover how they can partner in providing the tools students need to pursue such careers.

UNG visited Dawson County College and Career Academy and Alpharetta High School on Sept. 10 as part of the "Nighthawk Impact Tour: Education Edition."

Rather than delivering a lecture, UNG leaders came with a listening ear — sitting in on classes, hearing directly from students, and asking administrators what their schools need most. The goal: discover how UNG can tailor programs to fuel both student dreams and national workforce demands.

"I was inspired by the stories and the aspirations of the students in both Alpharetta and Dawson County. They are driven by a deep sense of service, which is exactly the type of people our national security workforce needs," UNG President Michael Shannon said. "We look forward to finding new ways to serve these students and schools as we bring the national security big bet to life."

The tour also provided a chance for UNG to share information about its cybersecurity teacher camp and student opportunities such as the National Intelligence Summer Academy and Summer Language Institutes.

"The Nighthawk Impact Tour was a good opportunity to connect with two high schools, learn about their strengths and share information about UNG programs related to national security," Dr. Elisabeth Burgess, dean of UNG's College of Arts & Letters, said. "I appreciate the hospitality at both schools, and I look forward to working with UNG faculty to build new partnerships moving forward."

Visiting the schools in search of ways to connect in the future highlights UNG's community and service DNA, as the solutions that drive national security can only come through this type of teamwork with the K-12 schools in UNG's service region.

At Alpharetta High School, UNG leaders had lunch with students and administrators before attending portions of six classes to see the school's teachers and students in action.

"We thoroughly enjoyed hosting UNG faculty and staff, providing them with an inside look at the diverse academic and extracurricular programs that make our school unique. The tour offered a valuable opportunity to share the real-world challenges faced by secondary educators and to demonstrate how we are proactively addressing these challenges in a rapidly evolving, technology-driven society," said Alpharetta High School Principal Mike Scheifflee, who earned his master's degree in art education from UNG. "We especially appreciated the chance to showcase some of our innovative courses and programs that make face-to-face learning highly engaging and rewarding for our students."

In addition to leaders of Dawson County High School and the College and Career Academy, UNG heard from a panel of students about their goals and communicated how the university could serve them in meeting those aims.

"Having professors on campus to experience firsthand how our students learn public safety, engineering and other high-demand career pathways strengthens the bridge between K-12 and higher education," Dawson County Schools Superintendent Nicole LeCave said. "Partnerships like this help us ensure that our programs are aligned with college expectations and industry needs so students leave Dawson County Schools with both rigorous academic preparation and real-world, transferable skills. We look forward to continuing the conversation with the University of North Georgia to create even more opportunities for our students.”