It is always a challenge to switch to a new school and even more so when the switch is in the middle of high school.This was the challenge faced by us and our son Paul when we arrived in Nashville. But the challenge was met when, on the recommendation of a friend, we came for a visit to Franklin Road Academy. We learned about the school and when Paul had finished touring, we realized that this was a place aligned with who he was and who we are. Paul chose FRA immediately and wanted nothing more than to call this place home for his last two high school years.
FRA is unique in many ways, but the emphasis on faith, community, and innovative academics is where we saw the school's mission aligned with our family’s goals.FRA was a place where Paul could find his footing and then be pushed to go further perhaps then we were expecting. He was making friends and, as a family, we were welcomed into a community that cared.
This campus' hallways are filled with faculty and staff happy to be here.The community is fueled by an optimism permeating not only in the classrooms but also the athletic fields and courts, the auditoriums and theaters, and, perhaps most importantly, the chapels and gathering spaces where people come together to encourage each other and appreciate the gifts and achievements around them. Through his two years as an FRA student, Paul was thoughtfully guide and pushed to new heights.There is a call to be challenged at FRA and a faculty that shows how to execute so you can achieve the hard things while never losing sight of the important things. Paul grew in confidence, ambition, and discipline.FRA lit a spark in Paul that has ignited and grown since he went to college, and we know it will continue to roar inside him.
FRA challenged Paul to define himself and not let the world do it for him. He was refined in character, ability, and heart.He developed soft skills to allow him to contribute and to lead as circumstances warrant.We watched our son walk across the stage receiving a diploma, confident he would make a difference.FRA is a place that teaches students the importance of ability, confidence, and the simple thought that ‘they can.
Due to successfully completing several academically rigorous courses at FRA, Paul ended up a semester ahead in college.He gained collegiate credit and was exposed to the level of scholarship he would be expected to exercise at Wake Forest.FRA is unique in allowing students to participate and grow in all areas while not anticipating them to be experts. Paul became a leader due to programs such as Dance Marathon, where he learned he could make a difference in the lives of those around him. We saw our son’s heart develop in kindness and awareness.
Franklin Road Academy has blessed Paul and our entire family, and we are hopeful for the continued focus on development, excellence, and community. We give because we love this place and everything it stands for. If you love something, you give selflessly, just as FRA faculty and staff gave selflessly into our family's life while Paul was here. We try to support the communities that support us and realize our gifts will only be gifts for others. As a family, we live from the personal mission of knowing we are blessed and hope to bless others. Just as FRA has blessed us unfathomably, we hope to bless the future generations that can be impacted as we have been.
The Sposato Family
