AOIT meets with NAF in NYC

Mariane Ghazaleh
Staff Writer

  Apex High’s Academy of Information Technology (AOIT) recently won the Sanford I. Weill Award for Excellence. The award was created in 2013 in honor of Weill’s 80^th birthday and is given to the “academy exhibiting the highest standards for public-private partnerships for the benefit of students.” Apex AOIT is the first academy to have received the award. On April 22, the National Academy Foundation flew a delegation from Apex AOIT to the NAF Headquarters in New York City to be recognized for their accomplishments. The representatives included Principal Matthew Wight, Academy Director John Evans, science teacher Jeffery Derda, AOIT alum Joshua Crissman, and senior Mariane Ghazaleh. 

The group’s day was filled with tours and opportunities to network with big business in the city. First, they met with JD Hoye, the president of NAF. They discussed successes and also focused on how to improve the program. The vice president of programs, Andrew Rothstein, bounced around ideas for an alumni group with Crissman and Ghazaleh. Next, the group toured Bloomberg LP, a financial software data and media company to learn how information technology is applied in everyday business. 

Crissman, Ghazaleh, Evans and Weill

The highlight of the day came when the group met Sanford I. Weill. For about a half hour, Weill spoke to everyone about Apex AOIT and congratulated the academy for winning the award. A very approachable person, Weill put everyone at ease with a sense of humor and bright smile. “I really enjoyed meeting with Sandy Weill. It was very refreshing to talk to someone who had such impressive business acumen,” says Evans. After lunch, the delegation visited a Verizon Wireless cell tower and toured Verizon Communications. Lastly, the group visited Moody’s Financial. “The places they had us tour and people we got to meet were really incredible,” says Derda. “I will be able to share what I learned with my students for years to come." 

 “The New York Trip was an incredible opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of our IT academy by meeting with the NAF leadership staff, most importantly Mr. Sanford Weill himself,” says Wight. “Secondly, the opportunity to visit some of the nation’s top financial and IT companies provided insight into ‘the real world.’ Seeing those companies helped us to realize what skills our students will need to be prepared for life after school.”

Apex High meets with NAF members