Danny Collins has had an unconventional career journey. It was actually a no later followed by a yes thanks to the support of a few select people during his senior year at Davidson High School that set him on his current trajectory. 

A 2012 graduate of Hilliard City Schools, seniors at the time had the opportunity to complete a senior project. These projects were designed to help students further explore their future career aspirations. Collins’ proposal? Travel to Orlando, Florida, and receive professional-level coaching in wakeboarding. After all, he had traveled around the world competing in the sport and wanted to find out if he could make a go of it at the next level.

His idea was shot down with a resounding no. Until a few days later. He was sitting in art class when then-assistant principal Nathan Bobek popped his head in the door and asked to speak with him. Collins said he’d had limited interactions with Mr. Bobek, so was a bit nervous when he stepped into the hallway. 

“He asked me if my idea for my senior project was the real thing and why I structured it the way I did. He was a water skier, so I think he understood my dream of becoming a pro wakeboarder better than most,” he said.

The next thing Collins knew, the no he received turned into a yes, and he was off to Florida. He learned while there that becoming a professional wakeboarder was in fact not what he wanted to do with his life, but the purpose of the senior project was achieved nonetheless. Collins met two French pilots at the camp who were assigned routes that took them from Paris to the Bahamas, New York, and more. They boasted about being able to ski the Alps, scuba dive in the Bahamas, and grab a pizza in New York. A lightbulb went off – a career as a pilot would allow him to travel the world and give him enough financial security to take advantage of the adventure that awaits him at each stop.  

He returned and enrolled in the Aviation program at The Ohio State University. In addition to wakeboarding, he competed in and also had a passion for snowboarding before hurting his knee in high school. That didn’t stop him from serving as president of the Ski and Snowboard Club during his time at OSU, however. The club had between 1,200 and 1,500 members each year and they took an annual keynote trip to Colorado or somewhere similar. He said it was the best of all worlds.

“They would fly me out each summer to tour resorts. There was mountain biking and white water rafting. It was unreal,” he said. 

Today, he is a commercial pilot for American Airlines, and is doing exactly what he intended after meeting those French pilots so many years ago: exploring the world. Phoenix, Arizona, is home base, where he is a wakeboarding coach for the Arizona State University Wake Devils, which just won their third consecutive national championship. He also coaches through Wake Coaches and is a flight instructor for OSU. And he’s on a plane five days out of the week traveling to places like Key West, Florida, Augusta, Georgia, Monterrey, Mexico, and Jamaica.  

If it weren’t for teachers like Mr. Aumiller, who sponsored his senior project and helped him develop a love for, and capture his experience through the arts; Mr. Clark, an English teacher who helped Collins apply lessons to real life; and of course, Mr. Bobek, who took a chance on a kid with a dream, he just may not be where he is today. 

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Congratulations to these Embrace, Empower & Inspire Award winners, Cami Kowalski (Math teacher at Hilliard Bradley High School) and Dawn Blankenship & Kelley Burkhart (Enrollment Specialist at Central Office).

“Miss Kowalski continues to show me and other students that she will always be there for us and cares about everything in our lives. As an incoming freshman in 2020, I felt like I had no one to go to when I had a rough day. That was until I met her. Knowing I had her class was the main thing that got me out of bed every day. Her personality and kind spirit made it feel like something was normal. Now as a junior, I still feel welcome to go to her room during a free period to fill her in on aspects of my life. She has always been there for me and has never seemed upset when I need someone to talk to. She welcomed me with open arms into her class and I couldn’t be more grateful. I’m sure you could ask any student that has had her and there would be no negative feedback. She is such an awesome person that I look up to and I’m so happy I got to know her.”

“I work for a local nonprofit that serves New Americans and over the past year, I’ve accompanied multiple families coming from all over the world…. Ukraine, Afghanistan, Venezuela, and the Congo just to name a few. Kelley and Dawn have welcomed each family with a welcoming smile, patience, a helping hand, and a creative approach to communicating each step of the process so the children can be enrolled as quickly as possible in school. I can’t imagine how difficult it is to be in this role and these ladies do it every day with understanding, and a true heart to serve the students and their families. For many families, Kelley and Dawn are the first people they will interact with in the School system, and I can’t think of a more perfect duo to be Hilliard’s welcoming committee.”

These staff members go above and beyond the expectations of the Hilliard Way and truly make a difference in our district. If you know a staff member that goes above and beyond their way to make a difference, you can nominate them for next month’s award by clicking HERE!

On April 1st, The Hilliard Bradley Winter Guard was named the gold medalist in the Scholastic Regional A Class at the Mid East Performance Association (MEPA) Color Guard Championships, held at the Wright State University Nutter Center. Bradley placed 1st out of 12 groups in their class (the second largest class in the circuit). This is Bradley’s 2nd MEPA Championship, the first occurring in 2019.

Also, on April 1st, the first ever Jaguar Junior Color Guard competed in the Junior Flag Line class at MEPA Championships and also received the gold medal in their class. The Jaguar Junior Guard was made up of 7th and 8th graders from Memorial Middle School; they placed first out of 5 groups in their class.

Both groups are under the direction of Miss Melissa Watts (English Teacher at Bradley), with assistance from Andy Rice (Bradley Director of Bands), Cynthia Long, and Zoe Stokes.

Students at Hilliard’s middle schools had the opportunity to visit and tour the Ohio Statehouse in connection with the 8th-grade social studies model curriculum. This learning, focused on early American history and the role and systems of government, helps learners to gain perspective of the generations of Americans who have contributed positively to our society as well as the historical events and institutions that continue to shape our communities and nation. During their visits, students learned about the Statehouse complex, the legislative process, and how ideas can become codified into state law. These opportunities provide our students with relevant learning experiences and connect them to their communities and future responsibilities.

“I still get goosebumps every time the rain hits the tin roof at Brown Elementary.” Intervention Teacher, Aimee Jordan has been tied to Brown for decades and has had three generations of her family be a part of the magic that takes place at this amazing school. It all started with her mother being an educator at Brown, with Aimee attending there and now her two daughters are students at Brown. She considers the staff at Brown a part of her family and Brown’s home. 

Aimee has dedicated a lot of her time and energy to making Brown a wonderful place for not only the students but for the staff as well. One of Aimee’s favorite Brown staff community-building events with staff are their weekly yoga classes. During yoga, the instructor weaves an intentional word throughout the practice for the staff to reflect on and take with them into their week. Aimee loves taking the weekly words into her week and using it to guide her as she connects with colleagues and students. 

Aimee is known as a “battery charger” for her colleagues and is always lifting everyone up as well as empowering them. Aimee enjoys charging her own battery by working out in the mornings. This allows her to be ready to love, serve, and care for each member of the Brown family. Aimee finds it imperative to prioritize both mental and physical health, so she can be consistently present with the needs of her students and coworkers. At Brown, she not only serves as the intervention teacher but is known as the hostess with the mostest. Aimee is always ready to plan a celebration or event for the Brown family and anyone in need of a dose of cheer. This isn’t surprising seeing that Aimee started her career in Hilliard at Heritage as a middle school teacher and cheer coach. Aimee brings the energy. 

If you visit Brown you will see Aimee engaging with the students. As she transitioned out of the classroom and into the support staff role, continuing to engage with children was a must for her. Being a mom of two Brown students drives Aimee to be her best self, it changed the way she taught and how she engages with families. Aimee exudes a passion for pedagogy and the love of her career. “You know you are doing something you are passionate about when you lose track of time.” 

The Hilliard City School District is in the process of adopting a new K-5 Math resource called Imagine Learning Illustrative Math. During the next two weeks, the Board of Education and the community will have the opportunity to preview this new resource. We invite all families and the community to preview Imagine Learning Illustrative Math, and if so desire, use the Feedback Form to provide feedback. Clicking on this link will provide a preview for our families. A sample display of the curriculum resource by grade level will also be available at Central Office on March 27-30 and April 10-14. Visitors may come in person to preview the samples between the hours of 9:00 am-11:00 am and 2:00-4:00 pm.