MIDLAND, Texas — What started as a humble essay assignment for an AP English class at Legacy High School has turned into so much more.
"I teach my students to speak in such a way that people will listen and listen in such a way that people will speak," AP English Teacher Heather Brumley said. "When they can be a part of those conversations that's amazing, that's what we want for all of our children."
Ms. Brumley tasked her class with an assignment to design a new high school if they had all the money and opportunities in the world, along with a three-paragraph thesis.
The students excelled with the assignment that their designs are being passes off to architects for the creation of the new campus.
Each student had a unique outlook on what makes a good school. For junior Elein Leyton, it was extracurricular and a bright environment.
"Like art, theater, science, sports," Leyton said. "I wanted it to cover all basis and have the main buildings lead into each one. So English and art are tied together and the science with the math and technology."
Not only did students lean into their own personal avenues, they also incorporated spaces where their classmates could excel.
"FFA classes, they don't get a whole lot of attention," junior Joaquin Rocha said. "I'm not in FFA personally, but they have to go and feed their animals out and about they have to look for places to hold their animals and I applied a holding pin in my new school."
Ms. Brumley said a purpose-built school hasn't been constructed at MISD in nearly 60 years, and with the recent passage of the district's bond, such a school could become a reality very soon.
"The ability to influence something, even if it's minor, is a big idea and something massive that you want to change but you want to know how it would affect future generations especially if a school is going to be as old as ours," Leyton said.
Students at Legacy High are grateful and excited that their designs may be a part of MISD's future.
"I feel like it's important to get ideas from kids our age rather than adults because kids our age are actually going to be attending our school," Junior Class President Mackenzie Buchanan said. "I feel like if we could add our little touch in there would be pretty cool."
With the new high school in its early stages, there are plans to meet with students to provide their input on the final design with the architects. Whatever the final design is, Ms. Brumley's AP English class will have made a impact that stands the test of time.