After inaugural year, Inspiration Academy reflects on mentorship

When adults look back on their educations, they can usually pinpoint one or two teachers who had a real, lasting impact on their lives. These people took the extra time and effort to influence a student’s life beyond the required curriculum, and it’s often something they remember for years to come.

At Bradenton’s newly opened Inspiration Academy, which recently graduated its first class of only five students, founders Eddie and Claire Speir hope to make that model of individual attention the rule — not the exception.

“We want to emphasize mentorship,” says Claire Speir. “It’s about students having someone to look up to and just walk through life with. What does the model look like? It looks just like a family.”

The school, a co-ed Christian boarding and day college-preparatory school housed in the former Bradenton Preparatory School building, offers traditional accredited coursework, as well as specialized programs emphasizing in tennis, baseball and film (with music, basketball and others soon to come).

At the heart of it all, though, is its mentorship model. The Speirs say they were disappointed in the lack of individual attention their children were receiving in school, which inspired them to found Inspiration Academy. They found and purchased the available building and got to work building a team of trusted staff.

After enrolling, students receive a mentor, who could be a teacher, staff member or one of the coaches or other designated mentors, including former professional athletes, filmmakers and others who bring their professional experience to the school to give students industry-standard training while still in school.

Cesar Bernal, an incoming senior, first came to the school after being invited by Coach and MLB batting consultant Mario Jiminez to play on the baseball team.

“Coach is more focused on individual development than on wins or losses,” says Bernal. “He teaches us the same hitting system that he teaches the pros. All of our mentors are here to help us succeed, and it’s good to have someone to talk to.”

In its inaugural year, the school had 14 enrollees, and it anticipates 40 to 50 more next year. Speir says she hope to see the school continue to grow, in moderation, in order to best carry out its mission, while offering an education model they haven’t seen elsewhere.

“We want to be able to offer the most personalized program for our students in academics, sports, or whatever they hope to study,” says Speir. “The most validating thing is seeing the support from the students and parents and their passion for the school. This is where they want to be, and we want to provide what’s best for them.”