Sheet Music to Spreadsheets Aspiring Business Major Amelia Akers

Sheet Music to Spreadsheets

Aspiring Business Major Amelia Akers

Gwen Akers

The Ashland Beacon

Before every Ashland football game, it is a tradition to see the Blazer band lined up to march the stairs. Each dressed immaculately, their white plumes bright in the fall evening sun, they march down each step to the clapping of the crowd, each onlooker excited to hear the first strains of the Fight Song. Being a part of The Pride of Blazer is just one influence that allowed graduating senior Amelia Akers to step out of her comfort zone and come into her own.

Akers joined the band in middle school, beginning as a trumpet player and soon switching over to alto saxophone. Ever since, Akers has been dedicated to Pep, Marching, and Concert Band, taking pride in her musicianship and in the opportunities, she has had to meet and work with other students through the band. Entering high school, Akers was nervous to make new friends, but being a part of the band allowed her to have a sort of “built in friend group.” An honor band participant at Morehead State University, Akers noted that being a part of the band allowed her to learn to work with and talk to other students, collaborating to create a beautiful—and, of course, musical—performance.

Just as band requires strategy and practice, so does one of Akers’s other passions: Chess Club. Chess Club was one of the first extracurricular activities she joined her freshman year, and it allowed her to branch out and learn about students from other areas. Here, Akers found that what was again important to her was the fact that she was able to meet and learn from so many other people and, along the way, build her own confidence and skills.

“It [chess club] taught me how to interact with people that weren't specifically in my class,” explained Akers. “It really gave me the confidence to join other clubs. I feel like [being in] the band also had the same effect. I also made friends with a ton of different people, with a ton of different interests. They each played different instruments, and we all got together for the common purpose of making music.”

Chasing a common goal—whether that was representing her school well at a chess tournament or working together to produce distinguished-level music for the concert band assessment at the end of the year—is what united Akers with her class and made her feel like a part of a community during her time at Blazer. In both of these organizations, she made her mark by taking on leadership roles as an upperclassman, helping organize section events for the saxophones in the band to encourage teamwork and camaraderie, and even designing shirts for her teammates.

Through these two opportunities, Akers found her confidence and skill for organization, strategy, and discipline—three skills that she would later apply to her business classes as she took the leap to join the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) in her junior year of high school. Trying her hand at accounting, bookkeeping, and other opportunities, Akers found herself following in the footsteps of her parents and wanting to pursue a degree in accounting and finance.

“I was heavily inspired by my dad. Getting [the chance] to go to work with him, getting to shadow him and his work and see what he does and how he enjoys it–it has definitely impacted me,” explained Akers. “I’ve always enjoyed math, and I really enjoy business, the business world and seeing how things work there. I also enjoy budgeting and looking at various types of numbers and statistics.”

Ramona Bellew, a business teacher at Ashland Blazer High School, has been a source of significant encouragement and inspiration to Akers as she has been exploring the business field—something that would eventually lead Akers to become treasurer of the Ashland FBLA chapter. Bellew is the faculty advisor for the Blazer FBLA chapter as well as a teacher of introduction to business classes and courses concerning Microsoft Office Certifications—another area Akers has worked in.

“She has competed in accounting and some other business events for us, plus, she was our chapter Treasurer. She's worked really hard with us, from things that we've done–community service and different things like that–and has really been such a huge asset to our group,” detailed Bellew.

Whether it is playing the saxophone in the Blazer band, entering Chess Club tournaments, or representing her school at national FBLA competitions, Akers and her business mind have tackled every obstacle in her path. She has nothing holding her back as she heads to Morehead State University in the fall to study Accounting. In everything, Akers works towards the shared goals of running a business, making a beautiful performance, and winning the game—all with strategy and discipline.