VIPs from all walks of life recently visited the campus of Cherokee Charter Academy in Canton.  Nearly 50 speakers joined the school in its STRIVE Community Kick-off week. STRIVE is part of CCA’s character education curriculum and stands for Students Taking Responsibility for Important Values of Excellence.  Community and statewide leaders visited classrooms and discussed the importance of 65 special character traits and explained how these characteristics helped them attain success in their careers. Traits such as - integrity, honesty, patriotism, civic duty and more were highlighted during the weeklong event.

Guests ranged from WYAY Morning Show Personality Tripp West who talked about how working in radio requires ingenuity to State Representative Sean Jerguson who shared with students that "all politics are local and things that affect us the most are right here in our neighborhoods." He explained the process of how a legislative bill becomes law. 

The week wrapped up with twenty U.S. military veterans and active duty service members attending a special Veterans Day commemoration.  Fifth grader Sadie Okray said that she learned from Mac Dick, a retired Marine Corps Major, "You don't have to be in the Marines to show patriotism. You can show it in your community and within your family by being loyal and dedicated."  

“It was a fitting finale to a week dedicated to the school's character education program” said Vanessa Suarez, CCA’s principal. “This week was a huge success.  The kids had the opportunity to see how the STRIVE characteristics they learn in school translate to the real world.  We couldn’t have asked for more than that.”

Cherokee Charter Academy is a SACS accredited, tuition-free public charter school serving Cherokee County students in K-7.  CCA is a member of the Charter Schools USA Family of Schools.