Amphi Freshmen Learn About 6 Pillars of Character

By Andrea Rivera, The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson

Nov. 2–A diverse panel of guests reinforced to the freshman class at Amphitheater High School last Friday how important character really is.

All last week, Amphi freshman were introduced to the so-called six pillars of character during the school’s participation in Character Counts Week.

Nationally, the week was celebrated Oct. 15 through 21, but Amphi’s fall break and homecoming festivities pushed the week back.

Character Counts was implemented this year when the high school, 125 W. Yavapai Road, added a Career Exploration and Transitions course mandatory for all freshman students.

The course is designed to give students an idea of what to expect in high school and prepare them for a postsecondary-school future.

“We believe that bringing in Character Counts would support all of our curriculum,” freshman counselor Sandy Spiewak said. “We hope we have initiated a journey.”

On that journey, Spiewak is hoping the students find out who they are and what they stand for.

During the week, Spiewak and counselor Brian Corrigan introduced to the students the six pillars of character — citizenship, fairness, caring, trustworthiness, respect and responsibility.

The week culminated with eight local people discussing how important character has been in their lives by sharing their own personal triumphs and definitions of success.

Robert Padilla’s father had a significant impact on the path he took in life.

Padilla said he wanted to drop out of his Yuma high school and work in the fields. It was an idea his father nixed.

“I was going to high school because I had to,” Padilla told the students. “I wasn’t fond of high school.”

Today, students are introduced to adult situations at a young age, and Padilla said they don’t always have the cognitive skills to make the right decisions.

But he urged them to consider the consequences of a bad decision.

“It’s very important to convey that a bad choice will affect the rest of your life,” he said.

Padilla, who works as an administrative services manager for Pima County, was not the only panel member to offer sound advice.

“Invest in stuff that’s meaningful for a lifetime,” Scott Hatlevig told the students.

Hatlevig is a local gym owner and youth ministry volunteer.

He encouraged the students to follow their hearts and pursue excellence.

Gayle Hopkins went a bit further and suggested a seventh pillar of character: pride.

Hopkins represented the United States in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics as a long jumper. Today, he is the associate to the director of athletics at the University of Arizona.

“Take pride in who you are,” he said. “Take pride in what you’re about to do.”

Students were receptive to the purpose of Character Counts Week.

“If you come across wrong, people can think you don’t care or you are conceited,” freshman Angela Geer, 15, said.

Added freshman Luciano Sanchez, 16: “Character counts because it doesn’t matter what people think about you. You have to be the way you are.”

Amphi counselors and teachers are hoping the week resonates for the remainder of students’ high school careers.

“We’re hoping for a real good sophomore through junior year,” Corrigan said.

–Contact reporter Andrea Rivera at 806-7737 or arivera@azstarnet.com.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.

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