As part of the History Rocks! tour, Marco Island Academy was chosen by U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and coalition partners to represent the state of Florida and accompany United States congressmen. As a result, on February 26th, 2026, Marco Island Academy received a visit from the CEO of the Education Freedom Foundation, Erika Donalds.
While at MIA, Principal Melissa Scott gave Donalds a tour with the help of MIA student ambassadors: Medney Garraux, Meghan Donaldson, Bianca Fernandes, Lily Chiscavage, Jonathan Jules, Aubrey Guidry, and Madison Stolinas. Donalds received an inside perspective on the classes MIA offers, such as AICE General paper, Algebra I, and US History. They witnessed the true passion MIA teachers have for their students and subjects.
When visiting MIA, Erika Donalds had much to say about MIA being a charter school.
“I love this type of school that is not a one-size-fits-all approach, but is actually came from the community, from parents, and is addressing the needs of the community and the state.”
After the school tour, students gathered in the gymnasium to take part in the History Rocks! event. During and after the event, Donalds shared her views on the History Rocks! tour and on Marco Island Academy.
“This is an incredible school… The teaching and learning were so impressive, the teachers have so much passion for their subject areas, and the students were all very engaged. The subject matter and the assignments that they were working on were really in-depth!”
While the assembly included speeches from Principal Scott and Donalds, the event also contained a variety of student-based activities. Students Lola Green and Alina Nguyen performed a duet of the National Anthem, and future Midshipmen Aubrey Guidry led the school in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Additionally, students participated in variety of games. For example, students received a double sided flag, and were asked trivia questions about history. If their answer was one option, they would raise one specific side of the flag.
After, two teams of upperclassmen and underclassmen were selected to participate in a Family Feud-like trivia contest. In the end, the upperclassmen team emerged victorious by a one-point advantage. This marked the end of the assembly with the roar of the crowd.
