Olympians urge Atlanta students to stay in school
Olympians and Paralympians met with about 500 students at Jackson High School on Friday to encourage them to overcome adversity and complete their education.
Speakers included former basketball star Christian Laettner, 2012 Olympic swimmer Cullen Jones, Olympic fencer Tim Morehouse and Rick Rieder, an Emory University alumnus who has given more than $1.5 million since 2010 to establish the Graduation Generation initiative.
Graduation Generation is designed to improve student academic performance and increase students’ chances for success in high school and beyond.
About the Author
Mark Niesse is an enterprise reporter and covers elections and Georgia government for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and is considered an expert on elections and voting. Before joining the AJC, he worked for The Associated Press in Atlanta, Honolulu and Montgomery, Alabama. He also reported for The Daily Report and The Santiago Times in Chile.
