Alayla Childs is the Student Leadership Coalition (SLC) President and a senior at Front Range Christian School.

When the new year starts, it inspires a time of hope, aspirations, and change. A new year calls for progression from the year or years past in our lives. A new year gives people the opportunity or drive to change something within themselves that they otherwise wouldn’t have the reason or courage to. However, this opportunity surrounding the new year extends not only to our personal lives but communal atmospheres as well.

Just over a year ago, I was SLC Vice President and tasked with creating a vision of change within the coalition. I began asking questions: What needs to change within our campus? How can we improve our students’ lives positively? As I looked at our school, I saw a place could really use our help: the atrium.

What was originally intended to be a library and study area had become a dumping ground for students’ belongings and a place filled with tattered and outdated books. Students could not effectively work there as most tables were either filled with stuff or other students talking. Because of this, students resorted to the Commons, which often had students hanging out or eating food, or the Learning Development Center, which often was filled with students getting help from fellow students or designated staff. Students no longer had access to a place where they could focus individually or collaboratively on academic work.

Understanding these issues, I went to the drawing board creating multiple solutions that I would present to our Head of School, Mr.Cooper. As I prepared for the first meeting, I was incredibly nervous—I worried that he wouldn’t approve of my ideas. Surprisingly, though, at the end of the meeting, he was not only intrigued but told me to “dream bigger!” His encouragement inspired me to create the plans that are being built as you read this.

Where there was once bookshelves for dividers will now be study carrels. These carrels offer comfortable booth seating, a personal work space, privacy with dividers on 3 sides separating them, and versatility– depending on whether students want to work independently or with someone. Where there were once torn or outdated books on different subjects scattered throughout the structure will now be an organized, topical resource center. Each department will be given a section of bookshelf and wall space to fill with books, graphs or charts, and models. These are designed to support students in their current topics or delve deeper into topics they are passionate about. There are so many more changes to this space from lighting to carpet to paint, each change designed to change the atmosphere of the atrium.

I hope the new year is filled with so much hope and progression for you as it is with Front Range Christian School. If you would like to support the new atrium or have any questions about the project, you can email Braden Wehr at .