Jan. 5, 2018

What is your child’s dream job?

Doctor? Music virtuoso? Engineer? Broadcast journalist? Software designer? Filmmaker? Nurse? Architect? Actor?

Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School can set students on the path to all those and more.

The school is launching a brand new magnet theme in 2018 called University Connections: School of Design, Arts and Engineering.

Southeast now will offer four unique college and career pathways that will provide unparalleled access to resources and expertise from academia, civic organizations and the private sector.

The Pathways 

• Design: Students can study landscape and textile design, or gain certification in Game Art and/or Computer-Aided Design. Partnerships with N.C. State and N.C. Central universities, including the Fabrication Laboratory Network at NCCU, will help students produce college-level work. Smith Sinnett Architecture, Iron House Forge blacksmith and other local firms will offer opportunities for students to apply their learning to the real world.
• Visual and Performing Arts: Students can receive certifications for Adobe software in Photoshop, Illustrator, and Flash. Partnerships with Duke University, Meredith College and N.C. Central will support students interested in dance, collaborative performances and exhibits and other art forms. Representatives from the N.C. Museum of Art and the Raleigh Little Theatre will host workshops on campus. The N.C. State College of Design, the North Carolina Symphony and others will offer internship opportunities.
• Humanities and Social Sciences: This is for students interested in politics, government, journalism and scholarship. Our in-house studio is perfect for future broadcast journalists. Partnerships with the N.C. State College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the James B. Hunt Library will help students hone their research and writing skills. Local governments, cultural festivals and media outlets will offer internship opportunities.
• Engineering, Math and Sciences: Students can earn certifications in Cisco, Shopbot and more. Duke and N.C. State will provide multiple opportunities for professional development and hands-on learning throughout the school year and during the summer. Our unique partnership with Cisco will allow students to train with the rapidly expanding fields of robotics and cybersecurity.

All students will have access to an expanded suite of AP course options.

Seniors can choose to end their high school experience with an AP Capstone Project or Inter-Pathway Project.

'Diversified'

Principal Stephanie Smith says students will have the opportunity to choose a pathway early in their high school journey.

But she stresses that students don’t have to be confined by their pathway.

A design student is more than welcome to take theater classes, for example, and vice versa.

“We want them to be diversified and have other interests,” she says.

'One happy family'

Southeast became one of Wake County’s first magnet high schools back in 1997. Innovation and technology, such as the school’s award-winning Vex Robotics team, are an integral part of the school’s identity.

“We’re techies, and all students respect that,” Smith says. “You get props for it. It’s a neat environment to see kids respecting other interests. They’re very inclusive and promote each other.”

The smaller student population means lower student-to-teacher ratios and a close-knit environment.

“We’re one happy family,” says magnet coordinator Kimbra Audette. “That’s all you hear.”