Education
Wesleyan School Celebrates 25 Years in Peachtree Corners- Brown 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 Brown family
For some parents, their children’s time at Wesleyan has been more long-lasting than others. Pam Brown, wife of Lewis Brown, has had children in the Wesleyan school from 1988 through 2010. Her oldest son, Davis Brown, was not only Evergreen, but also now works at Wesleyan as an educator, peer leader and coach.
In the mid 1980s, Pam was looking for a Mother’s Day Out program for her young children. A neighbor recommended that she look into the Wesleyan Day School, so she toured the facility.
“When I walked in, I felt that it was just warm, inviting, nurturing… you know I just felt that it was friendly,” said Brown. “I’m still good friends with some of the teachers from back then.”
The Browns applied and when their daughter was accepted, that allowed her younger children to also get into the school. The Brown family enjoyed Wesleyan so much they stuck with the school for the duration of their children’s schooling.
“We just both really loved it. That’s why we stayed when they moved out here, and why we moved out here. We could have stayed in Dunwoody and done other schools there, public or private,” she explained. “We came out here when it was just a dirt mound with trailers.”
After his graduation, her son Davis initially worked at other schools and churches in and around the Buckhead area, but he eventually realized that what he truly wanted was to continue working with the kids at Wesleyan. It was a perfect fit for him, both academically and ethically, and he has found success as an Evergreen-turned-teacher. He even met his now wife at Wesleyan when they were in elementary school together and got married in the chapel on campus!
“The people all of my children have met here, the teachers, they really were nurturing in elementary school and they were nurturing in a caring and encouraging way in high school, and there were three different teachers that made an enormous difference on the path my children took,” said Brown.
She explained that when kids become teenagers, they often pull away from their parents. For her children, the teachers and staff at Wesleyan played a central role in their development during that time. “The teachers here could see the potential; they see the potential and they encourage their students. They care, they are friends, and they invest in you. They see the student as a person.”
Always taking an active role in her children’s lives, Brown found ways to volunteer at the school and served on the athletic board as well as overseeing the arts alliance. She pointed out that the families of students who attend Wesleyan are all very engaged with the community around them, and how that integration plays out in athletics.
“Most teams out here have community coaches as well as the team coach, which is good because the community can come out,” she explained. “People in the town invest as well. My husband did pole vaulting in high school, and we didn’t have a pole-vaulting coach, so he came out after work and coached the pole vaulting. It’s very interactive and parents can be as involved as they want to be.”
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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