Students at Andalusia High School participated in their annual Pride Day yesterday and alumna Erin Chavers who was part of the group who created it got to participate.

Chavers was in English teacher Dawn Thompson’s senior honors class when they came up with the idea for Pride Day.

“She gave us a group project so we split up into four groups,” Chavers said. “We had to come up with something new to add to our school that was fun and exciting.”

After all of the groups came up with the same field day concept, Thompson made them present the idea to AHS Principal Dr. Daniel Shakespeare.

“He loved the idea, but didn’t want it to be called just a regular field day,” Chavers said. “He wanted a name that was meaningful, that best represents our student body, a name that speaks for itself, so we came up with Pride Day.”

Chavers graduated from AHS in 2007, and then got her associates from LBW Community College, her bachelor’s degree in K-6 elementary education from Troy University and then began teaching sixth grade reading at Andalusia Middle School for three years.

After three years in sixth grade, she moved up to the eighth grade where she taught English for two more years, also being the cheerleading sponsor. This year is Chavers’ first year at AHS where she teaches ninth grade English and is the varsity cheerleading sponsor.

“It is neat to be apart of all of this again,” Chavers said. “Its great that the kids still enjoy it like I did and to see it grow and not dwindle down.”

Chavers said that teaching at her alma mater 12 years from when she graduated is an honor.

“It truly is amazing to see that the Andalusia tradition never dies,” Chavers said.