GCA Hootworthy

Send us Fan Mail Talisa is wrapping up her senior year as valedictorian, FBLA president, and Miss Albany Teen. It’s a lot, but she keeps it simple. Stay focused, stay present, and go all in. In this episode, Talisa shares what it took to get here, from the sacrifices behind earning valedictorian to stepping outside her comfort zone in pageantry and leadership. She talks about her work with “CTRL t...

Send us Fan Mail Izzy didn’t plan on becoming an archer. She just gave it a try and never really stopped. What started as a ten dollar experiment turned into hours of practice, training with a college coach, and eventually competing at the state level. In this episode, Izzy shares what it was like to struggle through her first competition, come back and win her next one, and learn how much of the...

Send us Fan Mail Nora’s love for dance started with a simple moment at a recital, watching a competition team perform and thinking, “I want to be like them.” Now, she trains for hours each week, competes on a team, and has learned how to push through nerves to perform with confidence. In this episode, Nora shares what it was really like to audition, step onto the competition stage for the first ti...

Send us Fan Mail Caleb stepped into leadership in a big way this year. As Georgia’s Beta Senior Leadership Representative, he found himself doing a lot more than wearing a title. He was introducing speakers, judging competitions, helping run events, and speaking in front of large crowds at the state and national level. In this episode, Caleb shares what that experience was really like, from interv...

Send us Fan Mail Abigail grew up in a large agricultural county where many farm animals are raised, but goats ended up being her thing. She started raising goats in sixth grade through 4-H, leasing her first goat and instantly connecting with the work, the responsibility and the competitive side of goat showing. By the time she graduated, she was raising three market goats at a time and spending u...

Send us Fan Mail Khloe never pictured herself on the news. As a kid, she was more interested in cartoons than cameras, and she’s still more comfortable asking questions than answering them. But when a family friend mentioned a local competition for 13WMAZ’s Junior Journalist program, she decided to give it a shot. Hundreds of kids auditioned. Khloe was number 28, and nerves had her doing her signa...

Send us Fan Mail At just 10 years old, Kalani already has the travel baseball rings to rival Tom Brady. He’s been playing since he was six and has racked up game-winning runs, MVP titles, and even took home the “Fastest Runner” award at Ripken Myrtle Beach. That was also the site of one of his favorite memories—walking it off with the winning run and grabbing MVP in the same game. Kalani started o...

Send us Fan Mail When Dr. Felicia Lowman-Sikes walked into the kitchen during her lunch break and saw the GCA leadership team waiting, she had no idea what was coming. She was about to be named District Teacher of the Year . Cue the cameras, a little disbelief, and a lot of emotion. Felicia teaches kindergarten and brings energy, heart, and a love of learning into every lesson. She sings songs abo...

Send us Fan Mail Omolade is GCA’s 2025 Valedictorian—but her story goes beyond grades. She’s an encourager, an athlete, and a future nurse with a mindset built on faith, hard work, and heart. In this episode, she shares how she stayed grounded, what helped her push through, and why showing up as yourself matters most. Enjoy the show. Hootworthy: The Podcast That Gives a Hoot We spotlight the stude...

Send us Fan Mail Malaki didn’t even want to try Taekwondo at first. A year later, he’s undefeated and a national champ. In this episode, we talk about how he pushed past doubt, stayed focused under pressure, and built the mindset that took him from nervous beginner to confident competitor. Hootworthy: The Podcast That Gives a Hoot We spotlight the students and faculty of GCA and the stories that d...

Send us Fan Mail Lily didn’t grow up dreaming of aerial silks—she just decided to give it a shot. What started as a Christmas gift quickly turned into a passion, but the journey wasn’t easy. From failed first attempts ( she’s not submitting video proof ) to pushing past self-doubt in a room full of trained aerialists, Lily’s story is about persistence, creativity, and proving to yourself that you’...

Send us Fan Mail Hootworthy Students Ellie and Arwen Soar at GCA’s 2024 Science and Social Studies Fair Georgia Cyber Academy students Ellie and Arwen took home top honors for secondary grades at the 2024 Social Studies and Science Fair held at the Tellus Museum. Ellie’s science project explored how train weight impacts speed, while Arwen’s social studies project highlighted the innovations and im...

Send us Fan Mail In our recent Hootworthy interview, we chatted with Kayleigh, a 7th grader at GCA who's making waves in both the horse eventing and entrepreneurial worlds. Kayleigh started riding horses at the age of five, and her love for horses led her to the exciting sport of horse eventing. Her ten-year-old horse, Bold, has been her trusty companion for the past two years and is a big fa...

Send us Fan Mail In our latest Hootworthy interview, we chatted with Abby, a 2023 GCA graduate who found great success through GCA's work-based learning program at Zaxby’s. Abby’s journey began in 10th grade when she started working at Zaxby’s and later joined the Work-Based Learning Program thanks to a teacher’s suggestion. This program allowed her to balance work and school effectively, ear...

Send us Fan Mail In our latest Hootworthy interview, GCA students Jack, Michael, Gabe, and Joey shared their exciting journey of becoming published authors. From adventurous frogs and missing brothers to a popcorn-obsessed boy and a fox finding its way home, their creative stories and unique challenges offer a glimpse into their imaginative worlds. Balancing school and writing, these young authors...

Send us Fan Mail In our latest Hootworthy interview, we caught up with Luke, a 10th grader at GCA, who’s making waves in the gymnastics world. Luke is not just any gymnast; he competes in Trampoline, Double-Mini, and Tumbling at the Junior Elite level. With only three other athletes in the U.S. achieving this level across all three events, Luke’s accomplishments are nothing short of extraordinary....

Send us Fan Mail In our recent Hootworthy episode, we caught up with Yusuf, GCA's 2024 Valedictorian. He shared some interesting insights into his journey to the top, what motivates him, and his future plans. Yusuf’s uniqueness stems from his drive for excellence, rooted in his search for deeper meaning in life because he believes you can’t have excellence without purpose. He grounds his purp...

Send us Fan Mail In our latest Hootworthy podcast episode, we had the pleasure of chatting with Noah, who recently earned the title of Sumter County Fire Rescue Post #343 Explorer of the Year. He noted that this award means that if he works hard, then he can accomplish great things in fire rescue. Noah's journey reveals that a strong purpose and work ethic can lead to success. Joining the fir...

Send us Fan Mail In the latest episode of Hootworthy, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Emalee, an eighth-grader at GCA who is making waves in the world of horse barrel racing. Inspired by her love for horses and the thrill of the rodeo, Emalee embarked on her barrel racing journey in 2020 after attending a rodeo and being captivated by the event's speed and daring nature. For Emalee,...

Send us Fan Mail In our most recent Hootworthy podcast episode, we had the privilege of sitting down with Ms. Marian Hoyt, GCA's 2023 Teacher of the Year. With over a decade of teaching experience, including three years at GCA, Ms. Hoyt brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to the classroom. When asked about her time-travel destination, Ms. Hoyt’s imagination took her back to the 1700s in...

Send us Fan Mail In our latest Hootworthy episode, we had the pleasure of chatting with Autumn, an eighth-grader at GCA who is also a compassionate cat rescuer. Her journey into the world of cat rescuing began when a family property became a refuge for a feral cat colony. Autumn, alongside her grandmother, embarked on a mission to rescue kittens and prepare them for their forever homes. With three...

Send us Fan Mail In our latest Hootworthy podcast episode, we had the pleasure of chatting with Braylen, a talented 10th grader who crafts captivating Lego stop-motion films. We first discovered Braylen's skill when he submitted a video for GCA's Got Talent, our annual virtual showcase. Little did we know, he already had a collection of over 130 videos on his YouTube channel, Epic Brick...

Send us Fan Mail On the latest episode of Hootworthy, we had the pleasure of hosting Shawna, a 2023 graduate of GCA, who achieved 3rd place at the 4-H State Congress competition during the summer. In our conversation, we explored the world of 4-H youth clubs and the valuable experiences they offer. These clubs delve into a wide array of subjects, from STEM to healthy living and leadership, providi...

Send us Fan Mail In the latest episode of Hootworthy, we had the incredible opportunity to sit down with The BoykinZ, a sensational country music group that's been taking TikTok by storm. What sets them apart? Well, they're not just any band—they're four talented sisters, three of whom graduated from Georgia Cyber Academy (GCA), with one still making her way through GCA high school....

Send us Fan Mail We kicked off Season 3 of Hootworthy chatting with Mike Kooi, the new superintendent at Georgia Cyber Academy (GCA). The conversation gave us a glimpse into the personal and professional side of Mike. For example, if Mike could choose a superpower, he'd go for flying because he loves travelling. It would make family travels with his wife and 16-month-old son much easier. Mike...