As the Hope High School and Hope High School Online students pulled up to the business plaza and approached the glass-paned building, they were unsure of what exactly they would be walking into. Greeted with warm smiles and an abundance of swag, the Isos Technology team made the students feel right at home. Ushering them into their uniquely agile office space, our students were awestruck with the “cool” brightly colored graphics spanning the walls, a fully outfitted pool table, and a secret room hidden behind a bookshelf to boot.
The Isos CEO Thad West, and Director of Agile Services, Tracy Walton, graciously offered our students a seat at their table. As the students spread out to sit around the large executive conference room with other Isos team members, our students were immediately eased into the “people-centered” world of this company. Tracy launched them into a fun icebreaker that helped ease them into this new innovative environment. They learned about open and closed communication, crafted personal achievement goals, and got to flex their confidence skills by creating and sharing “I AM” statements. Statements that our students had not been asked before because of their previous online or brick-and-mortar school experiences that failed to expose them to opportunities.
As the students sat around the corporate table, rubbing elbows with the CEO, they were both shocked and amused to learn that he was a bit of a slacker his first go-round in college, that he made only three dollars an hour at his first job, and actually, couch surfed for a while before his “what are you doing with your life” lightbulb turned on. In other words, Hope High School and Hope High School Online students related to his story. The students questioned Mr. West about his motivations, failures, and successes. His candor made them eager to take in the real-world lessons of this “Comeback Kid”. His counterpart, Tracy Walton was the ultimate cheerleader in the room. She dropped gems like “be resilient”, “live life above the line”, and “be intentionally open to change”. Tracy brought the strong, foundational pieces that both our Hope High School and Hope High School Online students needed to hear.
Needless to say, after a full office tour, a deli spread with all the fixin's, and a good dose of practical business and real-life hacks, our students were full, literally and figuratively. They left this “Lunch and Learn” event motivated to find the next right steps towards reaching their goals and they felt truly seen and heard by this amazing group of professionals that met them right where they were.
It is because of businesses like this, willing to live their mission and cultivate an agile culture in our youth, that the future workforce will thrive. We genuinely thank Isos Technology for opening its doors and curating the opportunity to serve alongside Blueprint Education’s charter schools for the day. The greatest gift of all though was our students being overwhelmingly affirmed that they belonged there in the first place.
Hope High School Online is the better online high school in Arizona designed just for you. Powered by an incredible team that is truly available so you’re never alone or frustrated. This free online high school is specifically designed for individuals. Our curriculum uses an instructional model grounded in research and aligned with state standards. Register here. The best part is you can start right away, no waiting! We don’t run in cohorts, we don’t have homeroom check-ins, and we don’t require daily zoom calls! It’s truly self-paced and works into your own schedule. Hope High School is our brick-and-mortar high school located in Southwest Phoenix. If you are seeking a smaller, more tailored, and flexible school environment, check us out.
More about Isos and Blueprint Education. Krissyn Sumare guest blog for Isos, "Agile in Education: How Hope High School Embraced the Journey and Learned to Fly."
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