GLOW Academy breaks ground on new location

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — It took years of work, but the Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington is getting a new building for its students and staff.

Several local leaders, including Mayor Bill Saffo and GLOW Academy founder Judy Girard were there for the groundbreaking.

She couldn’t believe that they were able to accomplish this in just a few years.

“We started it five years. I did not expect to reach this point in five years. And our biggest concern was ‘Will we get the students? I mean will the parents trust us to give us their kids when we have a track record in 17 other schools, but we don’t have a track record in Wilmington?'” Girard said.

Some students were shocked when they heard the news and were just happy the community is helping support their futures.

“It was really cool because we’re in like such a small building right now and that they’re going to make a whole new building just for us, I thought that was really cool,” 7th grader Zoe Nelson said.

“I thought it was really interesting because all my classmates are going to go to regular middle schools and like knowing that I was going to go to a special middle school was just going to be really exciting for me and for my family,” 7th grader Mia Mendoza said.

“I was very grateful because it’s a better learning environment and more of our sisters can come to join us together,” 6th grader Kamahra Nixon Mckoy said.

The new building will eventually serve up to 700 middle and high school students.

Construction will start next May.

GLOW Academy Principal Laura Hunter said the new building will help students reach their full potential in the classroom.

“This means space for our girls to have small group learning spaces, large group learning spaces, flex in and out of the building, to collaborate and learn and grow and problem solve. All of those things are wonderful things that we just can’t do in the building that we’re in,” Hunter said.

All to create a 21st century learning environment.

The land for the new building was donated by members of the Cameron family.

It’s expected to cost $14 million with fundraising and pledges to support over 50% of the costs. The remainder will come from the school.