Hibriten HS wins video contest
Dec. 9—LENOIR — Students at Hibriten High School and the Advanced Technologies Academy at Caldwell Applied Sciences Academy (CASA) have received honors and recognition for their entries in a state-wide high school video competition by North Carolina School Boards Association (NCSBA).
They were invited to attend the NCSBA awards ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 15 in Greensboro.
The NCSBA asked high schools across the state to create a video showing how "together, we can go higher." According to www.NCSBA.org, the goal of the contest was to encourage students to collaborate with classmates to create videos telling the world about how something was accomplished because of togetherness; how the collaboration was successful; how a united front achieved change; and how teamwork has impacted student success.
The requirements for the video submissions were the video length had to be 60 seconds or less, the video quality had to be 1080p or higher, and the video had to be an original work.
Averyl Lee was the lead student at Hibriten High School and created the video called "The Panther Family." She was assisted by Josh Holt.
"Averyl is a peer helper," said Courtney Wright, principal of Hibriten High School. "We have nine students at Hibriten who have been trained in teen mental health first aid and peer mediation. They work as an office assistant one period per day and assist students in need ... At Hibriten, we come together to support each other during difficult times. We have many examples this year where our students and staff members have assisted families, students, and community members when they were struggling with difficult diagnosis and financial challenges."
"The Panther Family" video starts with a quote from Helen Keller: "Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much."
The rest of the video shows students at Hibriten High School engaging in various school activities together, such as cheerleading, throwing footballs, reading, and more.
Hibriten High School won first place in the state and received a trophy and a check for $3,000. Of that prize, $2,000 will be given to students in the form of scholarships, said Wright. The remaining $1,000 will directly benefit students through the school's Peer Helpers Program.
"I am very proud of the time put into the video, the design, and the professional quality of the final product," Wright said. "The video shows the positive family atmosphere that we strive for at Hibriten High School."
Seniors in CASA's Advanced Technologies Academy (ATA) also entered the NCSBA high school video contest. The students worked together in teams of six. During the awards ceremony, the three finalist videos were shown and the students were recognized for their awesome work. The video "Together We Can Go Higher," submitted by the team of Martin Engelbrecht, Cian McHugh, Emma Moore, Simon Stewart, Jonah McLean, and Romeo Yang, was chosen as a finalist in the contest.
"Together We Can Go Higher" shows students teaching each other how to play chess as a way to demonstrate the importance of working together to accomplish a goal.
"Like pieces in a game of chess, we are strongest when together," says the narrator of the video. "Success can be difficult, but together, we will go higher."
These students won third place and received a check for $1,000 for the Advanced Technologies Academy. After the ceremony, the students enjoyed a nice dinner at the Outback Steak House.
"I'm proud of how the students worked together as a team and each member found a way to contribute to the project," said Guy Myers III, Advanced Technologies Academy leader. "This was a valuable lesson for the students to experience. They found out by working together and making an effort to create something great that they can and will go higher."
To watch Hibriten High School and ATA's video entries, visit www.ncsba.org/high-school-video-contest-entries.
