By: Jasmine West
Osborn High School is being recognized as part of a standout group of NAF academies for 2026, a distinction that reflects years of work inside the school to connect students with real college and career pathways.
For staff at Osborn, the recognition is about far more than a title. It represents what students are walking away with.
As Cierra Griffin, Osborn’s career and technical education teacher and academy lead for its NAF Academy of Information Technology, put it, “We’re very grateful to be recognized for our work here at Osborn. Not only as educators, but it also gives our students knowledge, exposure, experience, and confidence to step into their future as well.”
Griffin said that kind of impact shows up in the credentials students earn and the doors those credentials can open. “Students walk away from our programs with multiple credentials and different credential offerings,” she said. “One of my greatest achievements for my students is allowing them to get an industry recognized credential in IT that will allow them to start a path or entry level positions in tech.”
Osborn Principal Dr. Jamita Lewis said reaching NAF distinguished status reflects a long-term effort by the school and highlights the collaboration behind Osborn’s academy model.
“It is something that the school has worked for for several years, and it demonstrates what we are doing here at Osborn on a day-to-day basis,” Lewis said.
She pointed to the partnership between Griffin and Andrew Leamey as central to that success.
“It shows their collaboration. That’s first and foremost,” Lewis said. “Two teachers that are preparing students for college, preparing them for career, preparing them for the global community, and preparing them to just be competitive in the workforce.” Lewis said the work is especially meaningful because it gives students learning beyond the classroom. “I’m a strong believer in experiential learning,” she said, “Having the opportunity for kids to get the experience of learning outside of the classroom where they are getting hands-on knowledge, experience, and exposure is huge.”
She added that the school’s approach is intentionally built around access and consistency, from guest speakers to industry partners to field trips. “If I were to guesstimate, I would probably say they’ve done over 30 field trips this school year to get students into industries and expose and meet industry professionals.”
Leamey said the recognition is the result of years of collaboration across the school community.
“It’s a collaboration between myself, Ms. Griffin, Dr. Lewis, Sarah Howard, and staff at the school,” he said. “We work so hard and it’s just not one year, it’s been several years.” That work has centered on making sure students leave Osborn with more than coursework alone.
“We want students to have the skills, the soft skills that they need, the business skills that they need,” Leamey said.
He said he has seen students grow from ninth grade to senior year in “communication skills, critical thinking, problem solving, time management, leadership, professionalism,” all of which prepare them for work or college after graduation. He also pointed to the range of work-based learning opportunities students have experienced this year, including visits to AAA Insurance, KPMG, manufacturing-focused experiences, and Michigan State University’s College of Business.
“Students got an opportunity to see and get exposed to business and college and just fulfill any gap that’s missing, so when they’re ready for college or work, they’re prepared.”
For Leamey, one of the clearest measures of success has been watching students return with proof that the lessons stuck.
“Just seeing that growth, their senior year, that’s what inspires me,” he said. He recalled attending a conference in Texas where a former student was leading a session. “They thanked me for all the things that they learned in the classroom,” Leamey said. “Just seeing the finished product of our hard work, that’s what it’s for.”
He also highlighted summer opportunities that have helped students deepen those skills, including a five-week Wayne State experience where students learn entrepreneurship, app building, teamwork, and collaboration with peers from other schools.
“This year we’ve got 20 students that are going to be doing that as well,” he said, along with virtual internship opportunities for 10th graders focused on business skills and workplace readiness.
That is the story behind this recognition at Osborn.
Beautiful things are happening there because students are being given more than encouragement. They are being given exposure, credentials, hands-on experience, and a clearer sense of what their future can look like. At Osborn, that beauty is showing up in preparation, in partnership, and in students who are leaving high school ready to compete.
