“Even if you are at your worst, Edge is going to help bring you to your best. Edge teachers really do care.” (Edge student Matthew King)
Edge is known for our warm, welcoming atmosphere. From teachers who get to know you on a first name basis, to staff who reach out daily with check-ins and support, our shame-free charter school culture welcomes everyone. And at the core of our school culture is our students. Edge students each have unique learning styles and custom schedules that are created specifically for them. They’ve come from different backgrounds and taken unique paths to get to our school. But together they create a community that is a special place to learn and succeed.
To learn more about what makes Edge unique, we chatted with graduating Senior Matthew King. Matthew joined Edge as a sophomore because he wasn’t happy at his former school and struggled with social anxiety. Edge supported Matthew with resources for personal and academic success, including partnering with Workability to help him develop skills to tackle high school and plan for the future. Today, Matthew has found his voice as a student leader, and is looking forward to a bright future. We were lucky enough to catch up with him before he graduates in December 2022 and embarks on the next chapter of his life. Here’s what he had to say!
Who has been your favorite teacher at Edge and why?
This is such a difficult question – all are amazing! But my English teacher Brett Dodds has given me the most opportunities. In her class I had the freedom to explore themes and stories, and I submitted a poem for a Rising Stars student poetry contest – and now I’m a published author! (Scroll down to read Matthew’s poem “The Stars that Endeared Me” at the end of this blog). Also Kieran McGann and Daryl Wieneke gave me so much confidence in math. And Greg Cooper is so good at motivating students.
What is your favorite thing about Edge?
I’m really into gaming and established a Gaming Club at the Northwest campus. The club helped me interact with students who I wasn’t able to connect with before, and we built a community of people who also really like gaming. The experience was eye opening – it made me feel more confident reaching people and establishing communities. I love platforms and role playing, and my favorite game is Kingdom Hearts. Plus, gaming made me want to read and look up words in the dictionary!
What is one thing you’d like to see change or evolve at Edge?
Edge is always improving itself. Field trips, ways for students to interact with teachers, ways for students to express themselves are always improving. I really enjoyed the University of Arizona’s Sky School field trip – they had a beautiful observatory and I loved the dorm experience. I would like to see more clubs across both campuses – maybe a Gaming Club or Theater Club that involves both campuses, or even a Sports Club.
What are your plans for life after Edge?
First, getting a driver’s license! I’m going to get into the entertainment business and I hope to take some voiceover seminars and buy equipment. I love art and storytelling.
I also plan to enroll in the theater department at PIMA community college, then after 2 years possibly go to UA to get an arts degree.
Any advice for a new student coming to Edge?
Everyone was so kind and welcoming when I came to Edge. I had a lot of anxiety. The staff is so welcoming – you can say anything and they’ll have a response. Even if you are at your worst, they are going to help bring you to your best. Edge teachers really do care.
Also, you can be really flexible with your scheduling. I need to graduate so I’m doing 8 hour days instead of 4 hour days. At the Northwest campus you can choose to be a morning or an afternoon student – or you can choose both shifts if you want to graduate early. You can also come early and stay late.
Finally, don’t underestimate the resource that is the teachers here at Edge. Don’t be shy to say you need help. They want you to try your best – they’ll help you achieve a goal and help motivate you. Curriculum is self paced – we watch lessons, take notes, do assignments – but the staff are here to help you by request. Greg will remind you how many credits you have left to graduate. You’ll check in with Edge staff four times a year – but you can always ask them yourself if you have questions. The staff are really easy to talk to!
Edge students are the heart of our welcoming, supportive school culture. Join us and find your people today! Learn more and enroll anytime.
The Stars That Endeared Me
by Matthew King
Pouring rain and ashen clouds
Would never deter the milky, silky stars above
And when my heart begins to drum and my head won’t cease its thrum –
I try and bed my mind with those same stars …
To be honest – to be rather blunt – with such reverence
I’ve never not been soothed by their magnetism
They know me twofold, readied with a sparkling, phantasmic hum
They whisk away those fiends that plague my crater;
they vanish right into their light!
And yet! The stars will leave me grounded …
To be fair – to be rather humbled – with such infantility
My heart blames my body, for my arms are too stubby to reach them!
(To know, I stretched out my hands and couldn’t reach those stars)
Yet my head, after wistful rest,
is soon stimulated with some strange theories …
Such as the one that whispers there would be no stars
If nothing far away was to admire them
Ashen clouds and pouring rain
Would never deter the silky, milky stars above
And when my head begins to thrum, and my heart won’t cease its drum –
I try and bed my mind with those same stars …
About Edge
Edge is a Cognia accredited, tuition-free, charter high school, with two campuses in the greater Tucson area. We provide an alternative to traditional education, meeting the diverse learning and life needs of our students with our blended curriculum and flexible morning or afternoon class schedules. Our high-quality, passionate teachers are dedicated to individualized instruction in our small academic classes. Be you. With us. At Edge.