Baldwin County Students Light Up Georgia College’s Education Day

The Centennial Center was alive with music, movement, and pure joy as thousands of students filled the stands for Georgia College & State University’s annual Education Day and no one lit up the arena quite like Baldwin County.

This year’s event brought together students from Baldwin, Putnam, Washington, and Jefferson counties, creating one of the largest Education Day turnouts in the event’s history. But it was Baldwin County that provided every single performance, showcasing the talent, teamwork, and school pride that define our district.

“Our Students Are Absolutely Modeling It Out”

For Superintendent Dr. Kristina Brooks, her first Education Day was unforgettable.

“I’m just so excited,” she said, reflecting on the energy in the gym. “Our students are absolutely, like, modeling it out. They’ve got Christmas music, Christmas dancing… kids are singing old 80s Christmas carols. We’re having a great time. The entire staff at Georgia College has just been right there in the middle of us, supporting our students and making sure our community comes together.”

Dr. Brooks emphasized the purpose behind the day:“Education Day highlights the partnership between the school system and Georgia College to expose our students to collegiate athletics, to bring community together, to have unity, and to celebrate what it takes to work toward excellence.”

Performances That Brought the House Down

Baldwin was the heartbeat of the event from the opening minutes to the final buzzer.

Oak Hill Middle School Pep Band provided game-long music and kept the arena energized.

Oak Hill Middle School Cheerleaders performed on the baselines, supported by Georgia College cheerleaders acting as mentors.

Halftime performers included:

• Midway Hills Primary Dancing Bears

• Lakeview Primary Drill Team

• Lakeview Academy Drill Team

• Midway Hills Academy Drill Team

• Oak Hill Middle School Drill Team

  
  

Every group delivered polished routines and brought their school spirit to a collegiate stage many for the very first time. “These performances mean so much to our students,” said Georgia College Athletics Director Wendell Staton. “When our local students get to perform; the cheers, the drill team, the band, it’s so exciting, and it means so much to them. Everybody wins today.”

A Record-Breaking Education Day

Staton, who has helped lead Education Day for more than 15 years, noted just how special this year was. “Today was awesome,” he shared. “We had over 3,700 students here from Baldwin, Washington, Putnam, and Jefferson counties. This is the most popular event we have and the place is jam packed every single time. The kids absolutely love it.”

What matters most to him is the long-term impact:“My hope is that this sparks something, that college feels normal. This happened to me when I was in third grade, and ever since that time, I always wanted to be at a college.”

A Community Celebration to Remember

For Georgia College, Education Day is the biggest event of the year. For Baldwin County, it was a celebration of partnership, pride, and performance and a powerful reminder of what happens when students see themselves on a college campus.

As Staton put it:“This is a great community event, and everybody wins.”

And yes. The Bobcats won the game, too.