Coming back to Eagles Landing Christian Academy [ELCA] was a no-brainer for India. She wasn’t coming to get an education; instead it was time to give back and help others reach the spotlight. India Scandrick has been shining under the spotlight for many years even though she is only nineteen. Before she could graduate from ELCA, India was chosen to perform in The Lion King on Broadway which required her to relocate to New York. However, her time at ELCA from 3rd to 7th grade left a deep impression on India and she is thrilled to be able to impart...
Academy Theater in Stockbridge
Have you ever thought of drama as just a cluster of communication? I hadn’t until Robert Drake broke down the art of acting. When most of us go to the movies or theater for entertainment, we don’t realize we are listening to a mass of choreographed communications. From the writer of the screenplay, to the brightness of the stage lights, to the method of acting — we are interpreting an ensemble of communication. Robert Drake is the artistic director of Academy Theater in Stockbridge. Drake has done extensive renovations on the theater, which is the former First State Bank building....
Creativity Canned
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. The oft-repeated idiom aptly applies to a group of talented students and their teacher at Henry County Middle School. In Melissa Wood’s art class, nothing goes to waste. Some of the most interesting pieces are composed of items once discarded as something to be picked up on the weekly garbage route. Egg cartons, pizza and cereal boxes, soda cans, scrap lumber, old textbooks – you name it and it is probably being used by students in the class in a creative way. This all started as a way to save money in light...
Game Changer
Meet Marnie Hornsby, 39, a multi-sport athlete and Olympian. She is the reigning silver medalist champion in Alpine Skiing earned at this year’s 2013 Special Olympics World Games held in Pyeongchang, Korea. Although Marnie has competed in a variety of sports [softball, bocce ball, equestrian, tennis and volleyball], the 2013 games were her first foray into international competition, and her first time traveling abroad. “Being in a foreign country was an interesting experience and I’m glad that I went,” she said. As you might expect from a professional athlete, Marnie comes across confident, social, and engaging as she discusses her...
Leonardo the Talented
What were you thinking of when you were 11 years old? It probably fell along the lines of what you were going to do after school or what chores you had waiting on you or what friends you were going to hang out with on the weekend. Those were the things that seemed to be the most pressing. But those things seem to pale in comparison to the thoughts, dreams, and aspirations of a self-assured, multi-talented, bright 11 year old in Locust Grove. All three descriptions of this young student could be considered understatements; he quickly captures your attention. One...
Horses and Warriors
When I walked into the stables on a brisk Friday morning, canada hospital I was greeted by the smells of fresh hay, sales leather and horses. My attention went immediately to the American flag hanging front and center in the galley between the stalls. Each horse inside seemed content with eating or waiting for a tidbit from one of the helpers. I was searching for Sara Reams, the director of Camp Calvin Horses & Warriors. She quickly found me and greeted me by sticking a name tag on my sweater. Several volunteers were working around the stable at a pleasant...
For God and Country
Rufus Brantley was born on Halloween, 1923. He was and is still a treat. He may appear to be a typical WWII veteran, but Mr. Brantley’s story is anything but typical. Entering the U.S. Army at the age of 20, Private Brantley was soon deployed, as the popular song says – “Over There”. That song title became a refrain as Private Brantley’s over there deployments took him first to Africa with a Tank Destroyer Battalion, then to Italy for the Allied invasion. From Italy he went over there to France for the southern invasion and crossed the Rhine River with...
Coach Bull
When Coach Bull walks in the room, you take notice. His six foot five frame carries 270 pounds of intimidation that is quickly dissolved by his warm smile. If there were a way to build your ideal coach, you can guarantee that Bull would be the mold. James Bull Martin grew up in East Point and graduated from Russell High. He admits his desire for football was greater…but he also played basketball to stay in shape. On the basketball court, he soon discovered an underlying talent. After receiving his degree in Finance from Clarke Atlanta University, James went on to...
Dreams of an Author
Brittany Glynn’s story shows that if you want something badly enough, it really can happen. She grew up a Southern girl in McDonough, Georgia, with the dream of being an author and began writing a Christian romantic suspense novel when she was just fourteen. But, as happens to many authors, several publishers, and agents initially turned down Brittany’s books, yet, her love for writing pushed her onward. At nineteen, Brittany reached out to her favorite, best selling author, Kristen Heitzmann, to share with her a story she longed to write. The story took place near where Kristen lived in the...
Harvesting a Connection
A master carpenter guides his tools to find the true organic purpose of what was once dead to bring it back to life. Like a painter with a canvas, the carpenter transforms the piece of wood to an object that will provide joy to himself or others. Likewise, a songwriter repurposes experiences, highlights beauty, sorrow, ecstasy – to share his vision and bring an emotional encounter with his feelings and those of others. Anthony Aparo does the latter having been influenced by the former. His grandfather, a master carpenter, instilled in him hard work and a love for nature –...