By Benjamin Beane and Jacqueline Hermosillo
Families got their first view of new features and programs at the Bertha Sadler Means Young Women’s Leadership Academy’s open house May 15.
The new Bertha Sadler Means Read and Reflection Center was christened via a special ceremony commemorating its namesake. The center is an open, furnished space along the main hallway near the school’s entrance.
“This area is dedicated to our school’s namesake and her legacy that she left,” said Karen Terry, Sadler Means counselor. “Reading was her specialty, education was her passion.”
The center is designed to instill the same love of reading in the school’s young leaders, which is what they call all their students.
"As young leaders, we will use this area to read books of all different kinds, participate in exciting conversations with our friends, or we will take a quiet moment to reflect upon our school day,” said Rihanna Hardaway, a young leader speaker at the event.
Then, KVUE Anchor Quita Culpepper introduced the school’s new Media, Visual and Performing Arts Academy.
“We need more creators in this world, and I think a media center like this will definitely give the kids a way to make their own dreams and visions sort of a reality,” Culpepper said.
Additionally, attendees participated in humanities, art, science and tech stations. They were also provided tours of the school by young leaders and given swag gift bags and school information.
As part of the ceremony, the Means family was gifted yearbooks from every year since the school adopted the Bertha Sadler Means name in 2014.
The open house was attended by 150 community members, including the Means family, Culpepper and community partners such as Communities in Schools and The Links, Inc.
“We were thrilled to see so many students, prospective students and community members join us in celebrating the contributions of Mrs. Bertha Sadler Means,” said Rosalind Oliphant, mentor teacher at Sadler Means.
Sadler Means YWLA is an all-girls academy in East Austin that promotes scholarship, leadership and community service to help ensure students succeed in high school, college, career and life.
For information on Sadler Means Young Women's Academy, visit their website.
