“There are no dreams too high for you,” said Tanner High School Principal Deborah Kenyon in a pep rally on Friday morning. Students and teachers gathered in the Tanner gymnasium to celebrate being a STEM certified school.

“Your teachers want you to have every opportunity possible so that you can reach your goals and your dreams,” said Kenyon. “We’ve increased our advanced placement classes and our dual enrollment classes, and we work very hard every day to make sure that we’re giving the best education that we possibly can.”

“This was just another step in doing that in the community,” she went on to say.

The journey to becoming certified by the National Institute for STEM Education began at the beginning of the 2021-22 school year. After a year long effort from a committee consisting of administrators and STEM teachers, the school finally achieved its goal, showing students that no goal is too lofty for those at Tanner High.

“You’re the ultimate reason that we do what we did. You’re why we’re here every day,” said Kenyon.

Mentor with the National Institute for STEM Education Paul Nixon addressed the student body saying, “this is a big deal. Not a lot of schools have what you guys have achieved.”

Teachers and administrators met with Nixon once a week throughout the 2021-22 school year in addition to their regular school duties.

“I can confirm firsthand that the committee worked very hard, and it was truly dedicated through the entire process,” said Nixon. “They were truly creative and innovative as they developed plans for continued STEM education here in Tanner.”

The News Courier will follow up with officials at Tanner High in the coming week to discuss what this achievement means for students and employees at the school.