Spirit of FRA

S P I R I T O F

12-YEAR CLUB SENIORS AND PARENTS

Beth Somers // Class of 1984

II started kindergarten on the first day FRA opened in 1971, and after leaving for two years when my father was transferred to New York, I returned in eighth grade and graduated in 1984. When I think back to my time as a student, a few things come to mind. I remember Mrs. Helen Dale, my favorite teacher, who was my third-grade permanent substitute teacher. She also became my English and geometry teacher my sophomore year, and she was the sponsor for the girls’ service club, the Anchor Club. Back then, a service program was a new thing, so she started that service mindset on our campus.

One of my favorite memories from my FRA years is the all-school photo, which would have been probably 24 inches wide. Some of the teachers like Damon Region and Coach Bartlet would start on the left side as the camera panned, and they would run behind us. When the photo was printed, they would end up on the right side of the photo as well. If you went to FRA back in that era, it’s just a funny photo to go back and look at. I also remember Mr. Bradshaw surprising all of us with a fun day in the spring. We were always anticipating the day when Mr. Bradshaw would shut the doors for the day, and everybody would go and play in the park. It was a blast.

BETH AND STEVE

2020 1984

When it was time for us to choose a school for our three boys – George, Steve, and John – we chose FRA because I wanted them to have the exact same school experience I had. FRA is every bit of what it was for me and even more today. The opportunities our sons have had here has been amazing, and I am excited to say that each of them has been able to have a different personal experience while also enjoying the same things I did as a student. I hope one day they look back and realize what they had just like I do.

As a parent, I continue to thank my parents because of the sacrifices they made so I could attend FRA, and I am proud to be able to make those same sacrifices for my own children. The academics, spiritual life, and the culture are things that are invaluable.

The thing about FRA is that it offers unique experiences for everyone. My boys are different, and each of them has found what makes them happy. My son George, who graduated in 2016, played five sports in high school and took a number of AP courses. His advisor, Rod Jones, had a profound impact on George and the others in his advisory. I don’t know that students participating in advisory really understand how critical that program is. The program is unique because you aren’t necessarily in a group with your best friends, but you develop such a strong bond. I think programs like this allow students to develop friendships with people who have different interests and friend groups, so they are more prepared for college and in the workplace.

George was well-prepared for college, and I can’t imagine re-scripting his senior year. It was phenomenal from start to finish, from football to soccer to great friendships of 13 years. And his relationships from FRA are still as strong as can be. He and his friends from FRA text each other from college often if not daily. That’s a support system that will continue. His best friend today was the friend he made on the playground in kindergarten the second week of school.

Like George, I still have lunch every two or three weeks with two friends from first grade. I don’t know how you can put that kind of bond into words.

Steve, who is a senior this year, loves the academics. He has taken many AP courses and loves the challenge of academics. He has also been part of the cross country team for four years. Many of his teammates have been together since lower school, and that’s fun to watch. I’m excited to see his path. It has been exciting to see the relationships and the friendship in his class and those in other grade levels grow. Again, that was similar to my experience. When I was here, I had friends who were older often due to them being my teammates, and I have kept up with many of those friends throughout the years. Classification of your grade was not important, and I see that with Steve's friends. He communicates regularly with a junior in college who was a lunch buddy with Coach Zenner and the lunch bunch. I love that because, in a way, they are mentoring his experience. He knows a little about what’s ahead for him because those relationships – such deep-rooted friendships – have continued.

John, who is a sophomore, has many classmates who will be part of the 12-Year Club. Those friendships are very strong. I coached his basketball team for four years, so I have close friendships with a lot of those parents. My husband also helped coached the baseball team for those boys. Again, I think it goes back to a sense of community. It is going to be fun to see their class over the next couple of years as they finish out and finish strong.

John has Coach Zab as his advisor. Coach Zab was my calculus teacher as a senior, so it’s amazing that he is spending all that time every week with my son when

he taught me 35 years ago in the classroom. I think those relationships are unique. Coach Tucker has a great relationship with George, my oldest, and I know they text back and forth, and they grab lunch every once in a while. As a mom, you can’t really explain, how that feels for your kids to be loved and have other role models like that.

I love the fact that some of the traditions the boys have participated in are ones that I also did as a student. For instance, I’ve seen all three boys participate in spray painting The Hill. It is funny to me because when I was here the first year of the school, they were just trying to get the grass to grow on The Hill. That was Coach Andrews’ – who was the football coach – big adventure. Today, when you walk up to The Hill, it’s this gorgeous turf that overlooks Nashville. The Hill overlooks the beautiful soccer field, track, baseball, and softball fields, which makes me smile to think of how far we’ve come from the beginning. The spray painting of The Hill is a big deal for all my boys, and they have eagerly awaited that Friday of Homecoming week to be able to do that each year.

Spiritual Emphasis Week is also huge for me. I became a Christian sitting in the high school auditorium when I was in eighth grade during Spiritual Emphasis Week. It holds a special place for me. Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Billy Sprig, and Kathy Troccoli performed. I remember Amy Grant sitting on a bar stool on the high school auditorium stage in a button down and jeans and really no one knew who she was, while Michael W. Smith was playing the piano in the high school auditorium. I always looked forward to Spiritual Emphasis Week because I knew it was going to be special, and so, I’ve always looked forward to that for my own boys. I think, as an adult, the more you look back, the more you realize the seeds that were planted during that week. Spiritual Emphasis Week has evolved and grown with things like Angel Buddies and Service Day, but at the core it’s still planting seeds for your spiritual life as a person.

When I drive through the campus today, and I come into the front gates, it’s so different. The acres look so different, yet the spirit of the school is the same. The new Weicker Center has opened doors for socializing and friendship that you can experience before and after school. Even though we’ve grown as a school physically, FRA is not about the buildings. When I come on campus, it’s the same feeling I had when I was a student. I get a sense that my kids are getting what I wanted them to get. So many things have changed, and yet so much remains the same.

My boys roll their eyes when I say those were the days, but I love that we share so many memories. I love having Bill Bradshaw’s grandchildren walk the halls today. Every time I see them on campus, it makes me smile.

Steve Somers // Class of 2020

I’ve been here for 12 years, and one thing I love about FRA is that my mom and my brother had some of the same teachers I have and my brother will have. Being able to share the same memories as them and build on that has been the most fun thing about going here.

I love that my mom, brothers, and I all attended FRA because we have gotten to see the school at different stages. My mom attended right at the beginning; my brother was in high school during a time of transition; I’m reaping the benefits of the beginning of campus improvements like the chapel renovation and the Weicker Center; and my younger brother will have access to even more

upgrades like the athletic center.

It’s also funny to think about having the same teachers as my mom. Coach Zab was her teacher, and he taught me geometry my sophomore year. It was a hard year because our house had burned down over that summer, and I wasn’t a great student during that time. Even though geometry was not my best or favorite subject, Zab and I had a great relationship in as well as outside of the classroom. He was and is a great teacher. Teachers like Zab who have had multiple members of our family have always understood our different personalities. I’m different than my older brother, and I feel like my teachers all recognize that. It’s cool for us to grow up with the same teachers who know us. I’ll miss it.

When I look back on my experience, one of my favorite memories happened in second grade. It was Homecoming, and it was my birthday that Friday. I was paired with a senior football player, and we got to run out in front of the whole school at the pep rally (something that is still done today), and I was just so excited because it was my birthday. And, this year, being part of the senior parade during Homecoming week is also one of my favorite memories.

FRA has taught me a lot – how to work hard and persevere and how to take care of myself. I know how to work hard but that also I’m a person who needs to have morals and values. I’ve been pushed by teachers to take hard classes with them saying, “I know you can do it.” These same teachers and classes have also challenged me as a person, and I have loved forming new relationships with my teachers.

I know that FRA is unique. The connection between lower, middle, and upper school students is important, and I remember being a lower school student and knowing all of the high schoolers’ names. I know that relationship lets us as older students strive to be something, knowing we are setting an example in the classrooms, on the playing fields, and in the community. Also, the Christian environment sets our school apart. I know there are a lot of Christian schools, but we value that and put it at the forefront of everything.

While the 12-Year Club is a close group, I would also say that the small community allows everyone to get involved in all areas of the school and make friends with different people in different ways. Because of the small size of our community, we are able to participate in many different things. I’ve been a member of the cross country team for four years, as well as Best Buddies and National Honor Society. I was also the basketball manager for two years and am a student ambassador.

I remember joining the cross country team freshman year. I wasn’t excited to go to practice because I didn’t know anyone at first, but I met two girls a year older than me and we quickly became good friends. I ended up being in French with one of them, and the other girl and I signed up for a random class just so we could take it together. And also with my older brother having gone here, I was friends with a lot of his friends. In classes you’re mixed with students in every grade, so you obviously make friends with everyone in your classes.

As I look forward to next year and beyond, I know I’ll miss the relationships and moving through high school with the same people – not only my classmates but teachers as well. I’ll miss the tightknit community; I’ll miss advisory; and I’ll miss the teachers. But I know that FRA will always be a big part of our family.

1985

2020

HAILEY AND KELTON

Hailey Williamson // Class of 1985

I

I started at FRA in 1972, which was the year after the school was founded, and I was a student here for 13 years. I mean, I was here through my whole childhood, and I could probably go through and name every teacher I’ve had through eighth grade.

I remember my dad helping Mr. Bradshaw shovel snow to get the doors open on a snowy day. It’s fun to see my parents’ sense of ownership in FRA even today. They see themselves as “founding parents,” and it’s true. We all have a lot of sweat equity here. I’m a nostalgic guy, and I love that I am still involved and plugged into this community.

When I think about my time at FRA, the first thing that comes to mind is sports. I played football, and baseball was my biggest sport. I was actually here when the baseball field was built, and we played on it my junior year and won state that year. I remember helping rake the field during P.E. It’s always been such a community, and now, when I go to the South Campus where the Scarlett Family Chapel is, I think “this is where my fifth grade class was.” It doesn’t look like it used to, but there are spots on campus that I’m reminded of specific moments – like I remember where I was when President Reagan got shot. And then there are parts of campus that have been changed for so long that I don’t even think about the old. The commons area, which was the center of our school activity in high school, is now just a pass through.

While a lot of the campus has changed, the heart of the school is still the same. And that is why, when the time came for us to choose a school for our boys, Hale and Kelton, it was a no-brainer. There was no doubt in my mind that FRA was where I wanted them to be. I love that they were able to experience some of the same things I experienced as a student like nights on The Hill.

Spiritual Emphasis Week started when I was here. I remember those weeks being influential on me, and it is cool that my boys were and are able to experience it as well. With Kelton now being a senior, I’m realizing that these are the lasts. But the truth is, I’m always going to be plugged into FRA.

As a parent, I look back at my boys’ experiences, and while they are different people in their personalities and interests, I can honestly say that FRA means to them what it means to me. Hale, who is a student at Samford, will come home and FRA will be his first stop. To me, that is huge.

FRA has obviously been a huge part of my life – 52 years to be exact. I can’t imagine my family anywhere else. I learned how to be genuine and how to treat people with respect. FRA shaped me, and I look back and know that it was the perfect place for my family.

Kelton Williamson // Class of 2020

As a senior now, it is crazy to think about how much I have grown and all that I’ve learned since starting at FRA in pre-k4. I’ve always loved the opportunities that are available here – I can come in and play football and also design my own tennis shoe. I can take all the AP courses I want, knowing I have teachers who are here to support me. I literally have a teacher who is just as excited for me to create my own shoe as I am to finish. Coming to FRA at such a young age, I didn’t understand the full gravity of the experience I was being put into. I just knew my dad graduated from here, and he loved it. And, as I grew older, I understood why. Everyone in my family has been involved here. My mom works here, giving back to the place that has given so much to my dad, my brother Hale, and me. You can ask any of us, and the word we would use when talking about FRA would be thankfulness.

When I talk with my dad and Hale about our experiences, there are a lot of similarities. It’s never been too big of a community, and it’s never been too small. My dad tells me that he was friends with everyone in his class and that everybody knew him. I like to consider myself the same way. All three of us played football, and it’s a cool feeling to know that we all shared the same sideline. The Hill is one of the coolest parts about the FRA campus. It doesn’t matter if it is a game, two-a-days, workouts on the field, the view never changes. It is cool that all three of us were able to play on that field, take in the views, and experience playing for FRA.

Even going back to lower school, I remember being so excited about coming to FRA. The first memory that comes to mind is in kindergarten. I remember being in class with Landry, Weston, Steve, Andrew, and Kendall, and it is cool to know that they are people who I’m now graduating with and to see how much our friendships have grown. From playing on the playground then to graduating together, they are some of my best friends and will be for the rest of my life. That’s the thing about FRA. I have these friends, who have been here since the beginning, and I have great friends who joined our class along the way. Along those same lines, the teachers have become my friends. I know people talk about how at small schools your teachers know you, but at FRA it goes a little further than that. Our teachers want us to succeed, and they are passionate about we are passionate about. They go to our games, support us in plays, and support us in whatever we love to do.

Personally, the football coaches have been the most influential. They take time out of practice to talk about faith and what it takes to be a man in today’s world. So many lessons have come from that, and the main one is that football isn’t just about winning. It’s about learning how to be a good man. FRA prepares you in a way that gets you excited and proud of the information you’ve learned, but it isn’t a stopping point; it is building you up for the rest of your life. I can attribute almost everything I’ve learned, all my experiences, and my character to this school.

One of the biggest changes I’ve seen since I started here has to be the campus. Obviously the new building is a huge change. I remember the pathway going up to The Hill and doing hill sprints up the pathway. It’s definitely different looking back to those workouts in middle school to now standing in that commons area and remembering what used to be there. The Weicker Center is awesome, though. I know this may be cheesy, but I love it because it builds community – it isn’t just for one grade level, it’s for the whole school. I’m also excited for the new weight room and what amazing changes that will bring. Thinking about what is coming to this community in the future gets me excited. I’m looking forward to coming back and seeing all the changes while also seeing the things that have and always will be the same – the community and the teachers who have made such a big impact on my whole family.

FRA was a big part of my dad’s life, and I’m so glad I can say it’s a big part of my life, too. I couldn’t imagine going anywhere else. It’s been so significant to my family, and I know that when I look back, I’m always going to be thankful that my dad, Hale, and I can all say FRA is a place where we grew up.