Magnet season at Darnell Cookman is upon us! Recruitment season began in October 2023, when student ambassadors took field trips to elementary and middle schools, hoping to find and recruit the best students for incoming classes at Darnell Cookman. That being said, not all of the recruiting work has been done by students and administrators.

Throughout the year, Darnell Cookman has hosted many presentations from companies whose services can lead to huge success for students who take advantage. Companies such as the Annie Ruth Foundation and the Naval Hospital have come to campus to share what their goals are and how students can become a part of the team. Both companies have great opportunities for various career fields, even for students right out of high school.

Now that 2023 is over, the magnet season has taken over recruitment, so instead of taking field trips, ambassadors can help prospective students fall in love with our school through tours and open houses. Through February, interested students can come to see the campus and learn even more about what we have to offer. The first open house night was Wednesday, January 17, starting at 6 pm. It was open for middle and high school, but they had separate sessions for maximum efficiency.

During each session, Principal Davis led a presentation all about Darnell Cookman and some of its statistics. He talked about our school rankings, academic performance, new programs that the school hopes to start up, and then a bit about what the night may look like. There were tables set up with student representatives of certain clubs, such as 5000 Role Models, that highlighted the capabilities and achievements of students at Darnell. At these tables, members were available to share their roles and answer questions for anyone who chose to stop by.

The senior class student ambassadors for this open house were Jemari Dickerson, Cing Lun, Amina Selmic, and Larry Winters. They worked together to split the responsibilities so that the open house went as smoothly as possible. Throughout the night, they spoke to the guests about student life and personal goals that the school has helped them to reach. There was also an opportunity for simplified tours where the ambassadors showed guests where the front office was as well as the layout of the school’s hallways. There were very few teachers who stayed for the event so classrooms were not open, but those who stayed were available to answer any additional parent questions.

Overall, the start of magnet season for Darnell Cookman is thriving. There are many events to come, the next one being Saturday, January 27, and we hope that our school’s success will continue throughout the entirety of the season.