BRVGS Seniors Schedule Community Service Fundraisers

As part of their Blue Ridge Virtual Governor’s School Senior Projects, students use the knowledge they gain from their research and internship to give something back to school or community. These community service projects are meant to leave a legacy, or lasting impact. BRVGS seniors are currently involved with a number of slated community service fundraisers in January and upcoming months.

Slam N’ Jam 2015 is set for this Saturday, January 17, to raise money for the Louisa Arts Center. The event will be held from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Betty Queen Center, 522 Industrial Drive in Louisa.  The basketball tournament is being offered exclusively to Louisa County High School students, however, the concert is open to everyone. The concert will host Griff's Room Band, Jericho, MC Peen Bar, and BRVGS's own Eva Hansen and DJ IGNITE. T-shirts for Louisa Slam n’ Jam can be purchased through teespring.com/stores/slamnjam2015.

On the following weekend, the first ever Goochland Faculty Talent Show will be held Saturday, January 24 at 6:30 p.m. at Goochland High School. Tickets are $5 in advance, and $7 at the door. The event will support Goochland band programs.

The Kolor Me Katie 5K run is scheduled for May 16 at the Goochland YMCA. The race is being held to honor the life of Katie Anderson who passed away at age 16 after a year-long battle with cancer. All proceeds go directly to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to help fund research to cure blood cancers. Around 300-400 people are anticipated at the event. Senior Meghan Edwards is requesting sponsorships, and is hopes that readers will share the opportunity with other potential sponsors and donors. For more information, see Event Details - Kolor Me Katie 5K.

BRVGS Students Complete UVA Engineering

BRVGS students pose with Dr. James Groves (left) of UVa's School of EngineeringJust before the holiday break, a group of 13 BRVGS students from Orange, Louisa, Madison and William Monroe High Schools, along with students from several other area schools, completed a 3-credit "Explorations in Engineering" course through the University of Virgina by demonstrating "design and build" projects in Rice Hall at UVa.  The  course provided students an in-depth look at different engineering disciplines and introduced them to process problem-solving.  

The final project for the class requires teams of students to identify and solve a problem with an engineering solution.  Products for this class ranged from better sports cameras to help with officiating to more efficient turbocharging for engines.  In their presentations, students consistently reported the problem-solving skills as one of the most important things that they learned in the course.  Congratulations to these students for their hard work in the class!

Happy Holidays from BRVGS

As 2014 draws to a close, we have the chance to reflect on the many accomplishments of our students and staff over the past year.  We are very proud of the dedication to learning shown by all, thankful for the opportunity to work with such wonderful students and teachers, and eager to continue that work in 2015.  

Blue Ridge Virtual Governor's School wishes everyone a safe and joyous holiday, and a happy New Year!

Fluvanna Students Experience the "Wonders of Wildlife," thanks to BRVGS Senior

Fluvanna County’s Central Elementary School looked like a scene from a nature documentary recently, thanks to Fluvanna High School senior Devon Burger.  As part of her BRVGS senior project about wildlife in Virginia, Devon sponsored and arranged for two “Wonders of Wildlife” (“WoW”) programs from The Wildlife Center of Virginia for CES students.  Chapin Hardy of the Wildlife Center talked to students about the mission of the Center to help rehabilitate wounded Virginia wildlife, and introduced students to a box turtle, a broad winged hawk and an opossum.  The students had many questions, and were clearly fascinated and engaged by the presentation and the animals.

According to Devon, she wanted to bring this program to CES because, “I believe it is important for children to learn about wildlife because they live with animals everyday... I hope that wildlife education will encourage them to respect the animals and protect our environment.”

Devon put together a GoFundMe campaign and a Thanksgiving Day “Turkey Trot” race to raise the money for the wildlife programs.  Fundraising was not easy, but Devon notes that “With a lot of help from the community and my dad, who helped me run a Turkey Trot 5k to fund the event, I raised more than I needed for the first WoW day. I learned that you just have to be willing to ask for help.”  

Despite the difficulties of fundraising, Devon feels that the event was completely worth the effort.  “I personally learned a lot more about wild animals and the children were so receptive!​  I know they were grateful about the WoW day, because at the end of the presentation one little girl hugged and thanked me​. In that moment, I knew that the program made a difference.”   One of the best parts of the experience was “... seeing the kid's faces when the animals were pulled out of the cages.”  It sounds like making the program happen made a difference for Devon as well.

To see more pictures of the WoW day at CES, click on Wow Day at CES.   For more information on the Wildlife Center of Virginia, click on http://wildlifecenter.org/

Senior Jackie Tremain Signs Softball Letter of Intent with JMU

Goochland Schools Photo

“I learned that when someone says you can't do something, it's really just a challenge,” said BRVGS student Jackie Tremain. She recently signed a letter of intent to play D1 softball with James Madison University (JMU) next year, which has been her dream.

To achieve her softball goal, she’s had to overcome obstacles. “I had numerous coaches tell me I was too short, being only 5'3”,  to ever play at a division 1 level. I also had numerous coaches tell me that I didn't throw hard enough. Although I couldn't do much about my height I learned to work with it. I learned to move the ball around instead of blow it past people.” Jackie is a pitcher, who has played softball for 12 years and pitched for the last 10.

She said time management, as well as balancing athletics and academics have been her biggest challenges. “I just have to make sure I have my priorities straight. School comes first and softball second. Softball can only last so long but my education is what is going to make me successful for the rest of my life.” But Jackie also noted how these two areas of her life enhance each other. “Playing softball has taught me to work well with others on a team, which helps during team Blue Ridge [Governor’s School] projects. Softball has also built my confidence which is a huge component in presenting Blue Ridge projects.”

Although both of her parents went to JMU, Jackie said they didn’t influence her decision to choose JMU. But she did emphasize the impact of their support in her life. “I would not be where I am today without my parents. They push me to never be satisfied with where I am. They are the main reason I have reached any of my goals and the main reason I will reach any of my future goals. They are the reason I have never given up and they are the reason I strive to be a better person.”

Jackie, a senior at Goochland High School,  is the daughter of Dena and Theodore Tremain of Manakin-Sabot. Currently a senior at Goochland High School, Jackie will be majoring in kinesiology and plans to be a sports medicine doctor and orthopedic surgeon.