Dunwoody Students Take on the Big Apple

by Audra Anders

The Dunwoody High School Academy of Finance is a two year program (11th -12th grades) in which students are exposed to many facets of the business environment. It is likened to a “mini” MBA, as students take courses in corporate finance, marketing, entrepreneurship, personal finance, AP macroeconomics and international business. Further, the course is heavy in group projects, team competitions, and interaction with many local business leaders that sharpen the students networking skills. It is a program that provides students with unique experiences and a real world curriculum that allows them to begin to focus in on their potential career path…..all of this under the phenomenal leadership of Steve Fortenberry.  Click here for an article in the Atlanta Business Chronicle that further details this amazing program.

I was blessed to be a participant in what I believe was Fortenberry’s 18th year of taking the A of F students to New York City for three days PACKED FULL of learning and fun.   I rode on a Southwest airplane filled with kids who had mostly never been to NYC and even one who was on their first plane ride ever!  One young lady told me she had listened to the Phantom of the Opera soundtrack 18 times recently so that she would be familiar with all of the songs when seeing the show Sunday.  The bus ride in to Manhattan from La Guardia was brimming with shrills and screams of delight as the kids recognized famous buildings and landmarks.

About 30 parent and teacher chaperones including Principal McFerrin and Head Football Coach Nash maneuvered almost 100 kids in and around the big Apple on planes, buses, subway trains, through crowded streets and on ferries without skipping a beat.  The trip was orchestrated to perfection.

We started the activities Sunday afternoon with a lesson in haggling and bartering on Canal, Mulberry and surrounding streets as students (and chaperones) purchased “designer” handbags, watches, sunglasses and jewelry.  Then students broke off into small groups to see Broadway shows such as Phantom of the Opera, Aladdin, School of Rock and Blue Man Group.  We ended Sunday night wandering through Times Square and watching the students mesmerized by the sights, lights and sounds!

We dropped exhausted into bed by 11:30 and were up very early on Monday to divide and conquer by visiting businesses such as:  Fox News, LinkedIn, NFL and MLB Headquarters, Goldman Sachs, IBM, the Times Square Ball Drop, CNN, NBC, YouTube and more!   Students dressed for success in skirts and ties to visit businesses where they learned how to build their LinkedIn profiles to help find internships and jobs, sat in Bill O’Reilly’s “No Spin Zone”, watched a live taping of Leeza Gibbons promoting her Care Connection and so much more. Later in the day they rode the Staten Island Ferry, gazed upon Lady Liberty, ate an Italian meal at the famous La Puglia in Little Italy, were entertained by the Napkin Song, swooped in to Grand Central for a group photo, zoomed to the “Top of the Rock” for the spectacular views and a rousing rendition of “Wildcat Pride” and then fell bone-weary (especially our feet bones) into bed around midnight.

On Sunday  morning we all felt like we had experienced a week’s worth of NYC in two days but proceeded to fill the day shopping in Dylan’s Candy Bar, walking the Brooklyn Bridge, strolling through Central Park, touring the 911 Memorial among many other small group visits all while traipsing through the pouring rain!  One group encountered the Donald’s second wife, Marla Maples at Trump Tower while another group posed for pictures with the heavily armed security in front of Trump Tower and coincidentally were photographed by the Associated Press and featured in both the AJC and Washington Post today!

I personally had a blast.  The kids were well mannered, respectable, interesting, fun, intelligent, and thankful. Everyone I asked had a different “favorite thing about the trip” but every single one of the kids adore “Mr. Fort” and were as in awe of him as the parent chaperones and his fellow teachers. There are countless things I love about Dunwoody High School but Steve Fortenberry and his Academy of Finance is pretty much at the top of my list.