Fredericksburg Parent

26 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • May 2025 Gavin S. has big plans - plans that he had previously felt were beyond his reach. A student at Oberle Academy in Fredericksburg, Gavin struggled at his home public high school. The transi on to Oberle, which features small class sizes — typically three or four students — extensive support, and knowledgeable staff , has proven transforma ve. "I had low grades when I came here," Gavin told those as- sembled on Thursday outside the school. "Now," he announced to a resounding applause from the roughly 120 people at the school to announce an expansion of the school's career techni- cal educa on off erings, "I'm an honor roll student." He will also leave Oberle with basic cer fi ca ons in the trades — OSHA 10 cer fi ca on and Electrical Level I cer fi ca on. For Germanna president Janet Gullickson, Gavin's story is what happens when we "love all our children" and students. Gullickson and Oberle Academy president and CEO Marbury A. Fagan II were together on Thursday to announce a new partner- ship between their two schools. The new rela onship means more opportuni es for students like Gavin at Oberle, but also more opportuni es for ci zens and poten ally students at James Monroe High School to pursue training and cer fi ca ons in skilled trades. Tech Certifications for High School Students at Oberle Academy Expand Carpentry students built a race track as part of their training. The school hopes to eventually have compe ons with area schools. "This region is going to need trades people," Gullickson said in her speech, no ng the arrival of industries like data centers, warehouses, and solar farms. Industries that are only going to mul ply in coming years. Among the new trade skills that the partnership will make pos- sible are training in electrical, plumbing, HVAC, forkli opera- ons, welding, and solar energy, Gullickson told those gathered for the ribbon-cu ng. This partnership is a signifi cant expansion for Oberle. The school has just 51 students, but it had addi onal space, which Germanna needed to grow its programs. Not only will Oberle students gain access to more trades training, but adults enrolled at Germanna will be able to start training at Oberle in July. According to Gullickson, the two educa onal ins tu ons have been working together for more than a decade. This new part- nership will signifi cantly deepen their es. In talking points sent to the Advance, Gullickson noted that "The students comple ng these programs will fi nish school with skills they can immediate- ly apply in the workforce, or they can con nue to expand their skillset at Germanna." He celebrated his faculty and staff 's "love of their students" and their recogni on that the work they're engaged in is more than a job; it's "a calling." The school's 51 students mostly come from more tradi onal public schools, where the students found they couldn't get the support they needed to truly succeed. The teachers at Oberle are all Special Educa on teachers, ac- cording to Fagan. The school also provides counselors and those equipped to deal with Oberle's student popula on. Carpentry students built a race track as part of their training. The school hopes to eventually have compe - ons with area schools. Oberle was founded in 1991, and Fagan talked with those in a endance about the passion those who work at the school have for their students. WRITTEN BY MARTIN DAVIS New partnership with Germanna means more opportunities for students YOUR STUDENT'S FUTURE STARTS

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