Appomattox Governor’s School celebrates its 10th anniversary

PETERSBURG -- Thadd Williams is an aspiring filmmaker living in Los Angeles.

His road to the mecca of the movie industry began 10 years ago at a brand-new school in central Virginia.

Williams was one of the original students to enroll at the Appomattox Regional Governor's School for Arts and Technology. It was there, in the newly renovated building on West Washington Street, that his career was molded. He studied theater and took his first filmmaking class during his senior year.

"This one, because of my interest in the arts and my creative background, was really the right choice for me," Williams said. "So, I really loved the idea of having that liberal-arts education early, and it made a world of difference. There is no question it directly influenced where I am today."

Williams, and other alumni, return to their alma mater this weekend to help the school celebrate its 10th anniversary. A two-day gala at the school concludes tomorrow with performances from former students. Among the performers is 2004 graduate Ryan Obermeier, who performed in the national tour of the Broadway play "Hairspray."

"In only 10 years, we've gone from opening the door to being a premier governor's school in the commonwealth," said James L. Ruffa, the school's executive director.

Though the school opened for the 1999-2000 school year, the process began two years earlier with the Appomattox Educational Foundation's decision to renovate the old Petersburg High School building, which was built in 1917. The foundation raised more than $15 million for the renovation project.

In September 1997, the Virginia Board of Education approved the governor's school after the foundation appeared before the board just once. Appomattox currently has six major focus areas for students -- dance, literary arts, music, technology, theater arts and visual arts.

There are 18 academic-year governor's schools in the state, and Appomattox became Virginia's third full-time governor's school. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax County, which opened in 1985, and Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies in Richmond, which opened in 1991, are the other two.

When Appomattox opened in September 1999, the school welcomed a group of 94 freshmen and sophomores from eight localities -- the cities of Petersburg, Colonial Heights and Hopewell, along with the counties of Charles City, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Prince George, Sussex and Southampton. Despite the unknowns, students embraced the new school.

Erin Nunnally enrolled at Appomattox as a sophomore when the school opened. She said there was a nervous air about the school because it was so new, but that wasn't a deterrent. The opportunity to incorporate her love of dancing with academics was one she couldn't let pass.

"It gave me the opportunity to bring all those aspects of my life together and enabled me to work with people in theater, work with vocalists, artists -- we became this whole team," said Nunnally, who now teaches English composition at American University in Washington.

Being such a small school community helped foster a familial atmosphere among the students and staff, said Cheryl Simmers, department chair for math, technology and science. Simmers is one of three teachers who have been at the school since its opening.

In those early years, however, it wasn't always a smooth road. The school struggled with finances and faculty turnover. Also, that first year, textbooks didn't arrive until October, nearly a month after the school year began.

During the spring of this year, $100,000 was taken from the school's operating budget, the result of budget cuts that hit the school divisions that send students to Appomattox. While Appomattox may not have access to resources like other governor's schools, it doesn't affect the level of education, Simmers said.

"People learn to do without, and it does not sacrifice the level of education that the kids receive," she said.

The school currently has an all-time enrollment high of 358 students from 14 localities, and the talent of the students continues to rise.

"There are more and more students that want to come to this school, and it makes it a little more competitive. Each year, it gets a little more competitive," said David Bartlett, a visual-arts instructor who has taught at the school since it opened.

Contact Jeremy Slayton at (804) 649-6861 or .