Education
Wesleyan School Celebrates 25 Years in Peachtree Corners- Cleveland Family
Four families share their stories
Walking through the grounds of Wesleyan School, it feels more like stepping onto a college campus. For those unfamiliar with the school, it may be surprising to learn that Wesleyan is actually a K-12 private college-preparatory nondenominational Christian school with an enrollment of 1,171 students.
Chris Cleveland, who has served as Head of School for nearly 20 years, describes Wesleyan as many do — a family. The Wesleyan family is made up of teachers, community members and, of course, students and their families.
The Cleveland family
Chris Cleveland, Head of School, has been working at Wesleyan School for nearly 20 years. He first served as the middle school principal in 2002, then principal of the high school in 2004, and became the Assistant Headmaster for Advancement in 2010. When Zach Young retired in 2014, the board appointed Cleveland to the position of Head of School.
In addition to being a loyal employee of Wesleyan and core part of the fabric of the community, Cleveland is also a Wesleyan parent. Living with his wife and family in a home that the school owns on nearby Spalding Terrace allows him to walk to work every day via an idyllic path through the woods, and his children have also been able to walk to school.
His two sons are both Evergreens, with his oldest currently attending Georgia Tech and his youngest just beginning his senior year at Wesleyan.
Cleveland has thrived in his role. He says that administration is the hardest, and yet most rewarding, aspect of working in schools that he has ever experienced.
“I love working in a team setting, I love having a leadership team to work with and to problem solve with, but it’s also incredibly rewarding when you see a vision come to reality and when you see the lives of students that are changed,” said Cleveland.
Overseeing a K-12 school has also provided a unique opportunity to be a part of kids’ lives from the time when they are first entering the school system to when they are ushered into the world as young adults. “Those things are incredibly life-giving from a leadership standpoint,” he said.
Part of his job is to oversee the hiring process with the help of board members. This is a very important part of Cleveland’s responsibility as he feels strongly that a school is only as good as the people who work there.
While students of all religions are welcome, as a Christ-centered college-preparatory school, Cleveland feels that it is imperative that all faculty members and teachers adhere to the same basic belief structure. The Wesleyan model requires that all employees are practicing Trinitarian Christians.
“When we describe ourselves as a Christian school, the reality is that a school can’t really be Christian, only a person can,” Cleveland explained. “We never want to be a place that is trying to shove the Bible down anybody’s throat. Our job is simply to live our lives as followers as Christ and we hope that that is appealing.”
Strong sense of family
Wesleyan’s mission is to be a Christian school of academic excellence, and that’s a vision that Cleveland feels is lived out every day. “The first single term that comes to my mind is community. There is such a strong sense of family and belonging here, and I think that that has generated a lot of loyalty to the school over the years, which we are incredibly thankful for.”
Above and beyond the experience of educating the minds of its students and providing opportunities for growth in athletics, arts and leadership, the school aims to provide a nurturing environment with a wide-reaching team of adults who work as a team and are dedicated to guiding each child through their formative school years.
“We love them right where they are. And we are going to give them our absolute best each day.”
Some of Cleveland’s favorite parts of the Wesleyan experience are, rather unsurprisingly, the moments when the community rallies together. That includes celebrations, such as the annual Hoedown on the quad which coincides with Homecoming, and also the hard times when a Wesleyan family might need support.
He recalled instances wherein students were diagnosed with cancer, and he witnessed other faculty, students and their families step up in the form of financial aid, prepared meals or acts of solidarity like shaving their heads and wearing commemorative shirts.
“To see our community really act as a family and rally around the families who are hurting or walking through difficult times, that is really encouraging,” said Cleveland. “We want to be good members and supporters of the community, but we also hope to be leaders.”
Good Samaritan Health Centers of Gwinnett (Good Samaritan Gwinnett) has received state authorization from the Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission (GNPEC) to officially launch Access Academy, a private, certificate-granting, low-cost postsecondary education program targeting students of low-income and/or minority households who aspire to pursue careers in healthcare but may lack the financial means to attend traditional college programs.
Access Academy is designed to meet the needs of students from underserved communities, providing healthcare-specific training at a fraction of the cost, thanks to charitable donations and volunteer-based faculty support.
Access Academy will initially offer a five-month medical assistant certification program. Graduates of the program will be able to enter the workforce without the burden of student loans, directly benefiting their household income and financial well-being.
“We are thrilled to launch Access Academy and open the doors of opportunity for those who need it most,” said Shameka Allen, CEO of Good Samaritan Gwinnett. “Our mission has always been to support underserved communities, and now, with Access Academy, we can extend that impact by helping students earn their medical assistant certificates and get their start in healthcare.”
A history of mentoring and education
Good Samaritan Gwinnett has a rich history of educating undergraduate and graduate students in health sciences. Since 2012, the organization has mentored nearly 450 graduate students pursuing medical and dental professional degrees. The cost of precepting just one midlevel student for an average of 168 hours amounts to $10,038, reflecting the organization’s dedication to training and education.
Greg Lang, chief financial officer of Good Samaritan Gwinnett, spearheaded the efforts to secure state authorization and launch Access Academy.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to see Access Academy come to life after months of planning and preparation,” Lang said. “Access Academy is not just providing training — it’s offering hope, opportunity and the support needed to turn dreams into reality.”
An ongoing mission
The launch of Access Academy is part of Good Samaritan Gwinnett’s ongoing mission to expand its reach and make healthcare more accessible, both by providing direct patient care and by equipping future healthcare professionals with the skills they need to succeed. Since Good Samaritan Gwinnett’s inception in 2005, more than 52,300 patients have entered the clinic more than 300,000 times.
For more information about Access Academy, visit them at goodsamgwinnett.org/access-academy or email Greg Lang at Greg.Lang@goodsamgwinnett.org.
Pinecrest Academy, a private preK3–12 Catholic school serving north metro Atlanta, has once again been named to the College Board’s Advanced Placement® Program (AP®) School Honor Roll, earning Platinum distinction.
The AP® School Honor Roll recognizes schools whose AP programs are delivering results for students while also broadening access. Schools can earn this recognition annually based on criteria that reflect a commitment to increasing college-going culture, providing opportunities for students to earn college credit and maximizing college readiness.
“We are so honored to have received this AP Honor Roll Award, as we strive each year to provide every student with a college preparatory experience, which includes the successful completion of challenging AP courses,” commented Amy Bowman, Pinecrest Academy high school principal. “The Platinum designation from AP speaks to the excellence that our faculty strives for in delivering challenging content that prepares our students for college.”
The numbers
During the 2023-2024 school year, Pinecrest had 89% of seniors taking at least one AP exam during high school, 82% of seniors scoring a three or higher on at least one AP exam and 58% who took five or more AP exams. Twenty-one AP courses were offered, representing 30 sections taught by 12 high school teachers at the school.
“Our Class of 2024 earned a 100% acceptance into the college/university of their choice,” Bowman said. “Since the school’s first graduating class of 2007, Pinecrest’s high school has maintained a 100% graduation rate every year.”
AP Access Award
Pinecrest Academy was also awarded the AP Access Award this year. Schools on the AP School Honor Roll may earn the AP Access Award, which recognizes schools that demonstrate a clear and effective commitment to equitable access to advanced coursework.
“AP represents an opportunity for students to stand out to colleges, earn college credit and placement and potentially boost their grade point averages,” said Trevor Packer, head of the AP program. “The schools have shown that they can expand access to these college-level courses and still drive high performance — they represent the best of our AP program.”
For more information, visit pinecrestacademy.org.
For more about the Advanced Placement® Program, visit ap.collegeboard.org.
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