Where Education and Experience Collide

Confidence Academy was created to encourage, empower, and instill confidence in students by providing them access to first-hand experiences with speakers from various career backgrounds.

This no-cost, collaborative learning platform visits high schools across the State of Tennessee with the engaging mission of experience, communication and cooperation, three critical values found in a successful student. This speaker’s forum consists of doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, engineers, artists, musicians, political figures, investment advisors, athletes and various other professionals. Our speakers tell the good, the bad and the sometimes ugly aspects of a specific career. They will share experiences and words of wisdom regarding their respected professions and how they, themselves, navigated the journey from past to present. Each forum is hosted with the goal of allowing students to gain insight into choosing specific career paths, as well as provide an opportunity for students to form mentorship connections.

Our speakers are motivational and will inspire students to make informed decisions, enabling them to passionately pursue their interests. This independent program was established by students for students. Created in 2014 by Gatlinburg-Pittman High School students and sisters, Kelly Champagne-Deutekom and Alyssa Champagne to encourage, empower and instill confidence in students. Confidence Academy’s mission is to build a student’s self-confidence and academic independence.