On Monday, November 11, 2024, Academy hosted a convocation to honor Veterans Day with guest speaker, Colonel Angela Hinds. The school honored staff members who have previously served and heard from the Gold Star and Young Women for Freedom clubs.
The Quarter Notes started the convocation by singing the National Anthem, and a prayer from Sister Lisa followed. After, Principal Jeane McNamara took the podium to introduce the guest speaker and Col. Hinds’ background. She has a bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees in science and strategic strategies, is a mother of two girls, and has been recognized for her accomplishments with multiple service ribbons, medals, and even a NATO medal.
“Seeing how much she has accomplished at her age is very inspiring and good for us to see what hard work does,” said Mia DeBourg (‘26).
Col. Hinds started her talk by recognizing all the veterans and relatives of veterans in the crowd and thanked them for their service. Then she moved on to how she got her start in the Army, saying how she was raised around the Army and how she and her dad would always bond over their love for challenges and the military. 30 years ago she received an ROTC scholarship and was not ready for what was going to happen at Fortwood. Only being one of 10 girls at this camp and a strong male presence made her first nine months very challenging. She said how sexist of an environment it was, there were no tampons, and the women couldn’t play sports at the school. After a while, however, the men started to stop their discriminatory behavior. Some professors still gave the women a hard time saying directly to Col. Hinds, “You’re just not good enough.”
“Through adversity, I found my own strength,” said Col. Hinds.
After her time at Fortwood, she still stays close to her fellow girls and said, “Being surrounded by good influences with life-changing advice was one of the most important things I gained from Fortwood.”
Though gender differences caused adversity, being a female opened doors for new assignments specifically for women. After serving time in Afghanistan and all over, she and her husband decided they wanted to have kids. Col. Hinds sacrificed and left the Army to raise two girls, Sydney Hinds (‘27) and Zayley Hinds (‘25).
Years after she left and had her girls, she experienced a case of what she called “divine intervention,” and decided to return to the Army where she now carries her position as Chief of Staff for the Army Reserve Medical Command and loves it.
“Military service isn’t about me, it’s about the institution and willing sacrifice,” said Col. Hinds.
After she finished her talk to the student body, she left time for questions which were led by the senior leaders of both Gold Star and Young Women for Freedom clubs.
The questions started with, what made you want to be in the Army. She responded by saying, “I wanted to be a doctor but didn’t have the grades, and ROTC gave me a scholarship.” Some other great points she made were, “It takes a village to be successful in life,” and, “Overcome adversity through your community.”
The biggest takeaways from her convocation were her thankfulness for all veterans, her values the impact Academy will have on the students for the rest of their lives, and her advice about community and teamwork. Her lessons included things that were not expected but everyone needed to hear, and that, “as a woman, you do not need to depend completely on yourself, don’t be afraid to ask for help.”
“She did an amazing job of empowering women, giving advice, and inspiring stories that were very memorable,” said Peyton Pickett (’25).
Finally, Academy staff members, Deneane Bell in the Air Force, Diana Rodriguez in the Army, and Robert Bishop in the Marine Corps, were all recognized for their sacrifices and dedication to this country. They received applause and a plant with an American flag. Another addition was the fallen soldiers’ table, a memorial for all those who sacrificed their lives for the protection of the United States. Lastly, the Gold Star Club talked about their upcoming events and their mission as a club which is serving our Tampa Bay Gold Star Community through service projects each calendar year.
