High school can be a harrowing experience, especially for a freshman. You’re simultaneously facing a completely unfamiliar environment while going through one of the most transformative periods of your life. It’s no surprise that so many students get discouraged, especially if they’ve no one to guide them.
That’s where Gary Hook comes in.
Hook is the Assistant Principal at Nashville Big Picture High School, an educational institution that takes a unique, student-focused approach to learning. Teachers and faculty at Big Picture work to build authentic relationships with their students, allowing them to provide kids with the necessary guidance and mentorship to excel.
Education at Big Picture is all about passion. Hook and his colleagues firmly believe that learning should be tailored to each individual student’s unique interests, background, and style. Moreover, they maintain that students should be free to pursue the things they love, flex their creative muscles, and explore.
Perhaps most importantly, Big Picture promotes a culture of kindness and understanding. High school can often be a vicious place, full of bullying, anxiety, and uncertainty. That’s not the experience the school wants to create for its students.
Instead, Big Picture is an institution defined by student-led initiatives. It’s a place where students can rely on teachers for mentorship and guidance. Where even amidst virtual learning during the pandemic, advisors and students got to know one another on a personal level.
But how does BlueCotton fit into all this?
“I use T-shirts to motivate students and really build a sense of community within my class,” Hook explains. “The last time I got shirts printed was when my students were getting ready to graduate. I wanted to do something for them to mark that occasion, so on a whim — I think it was on a Friday — I called a friend of mine who worked at BlueCotton and asked if we could make something happen by Monday.”
Working together with his sales representative, Hook printed off a line of shirts with one word printed on the front — Believe.
“At graduation, we had this fun speech for each person that really focused on their strengths and ended it by telling them to just believe in themself,” continues Hook. “My hope is that by giving them these shirts, they’ll keep them and wear them throughout their life. And that maybe, whatever they’re facing in life, it will help them get through it, even if it’s just a little.”
“That’s the beautiful thing about having a T-shirt that marks a time and space,” says Hook. “It helps it live beyond.”
BlueCotton is honored to have played a part in helping a new generation make their way into the world, and we look forward to working more with Gary Hook in the future.