A Dangerous Mind: A Gulf War Veteran and Hollywood Stuntman is Determined to Arm Students in South Los Angeles with New Weapons
Former Gulf War Veteran and Hollywood Stuntman launches new charter middle school in South Los Angeles, Antecello Preparatory Academy (APA). The school is envisioned to serve the south Los Angeles area as a bridge to span the educational gap between low performing, under-resourced schools, and those of acclaimed excellence.
- (1888PressRelease) May 12, 2011 - Los Angeles, CA - The inception of Antecello Preparatory Academy (APA), a new charter middle school opening in Los Angeles in August, came from a different mindset. Not from that of a career educator or philanthropic venture capitalist, from which many charter schools are spawned, but from a man who was a part of a parachute unit, specializing in weapons handling in the Marine Corps, and who has also been a professional Hollywood stuntman for the past ten years. Because of this, Conrade Gamble II could be considered a dangerous man, but in the words of his favorite Malcolm X quote, he says, "My lethal weapon is my mind."
Given the flexibility of his entertainment work schedule, Gamble decided to use his college degree to become a substitute teacher as a way of "giving back" and working with kids in schools. This altruistic plan became more than he expected when he ended up becoming the main teacher at a high school in Inglewood, teaching both Algebra II and Geometry. He incorporated elements of his entertainment life, his ideology of making kids learn how to "solve" problems rather than showing them how to "do" them, and provided interactive lessons combined with field trips relevant to the subject matter. His students learned faster, their confidence boosted, and they realized improvement in their academic performance. He formed great relationships with them because they felt he had a genuine interest in their lives and their success. After leaving the school and continuing to focus on his Hollywood career, Gamble realized that his previous experience was personally impactful, thus inspiring him to start a school.
As a child, Gamble's father often told him that he could accomplish anything he wanted to if he believed in himself and tried; this mindset carried him through when he set out on this new venture. He had a clear vision of what he wanted to accomplish but not the "proper background" or "expected knowledge" to do so. Instead of letting that deter him, he continued to embody his father's words, and walked by faith, not by sight. He enlisted the help of his friend Vicki Rice, an Education Professional Development Consultant, Pat Kimathi, a Gifted & Talented Education Coordinator, and his mom, Dr. Marian Gamble, a retired Georgia Department of Education Administrator with a PhD in Education. They collaborated with Gamble to create the charter petition according to his vision and approach to teaching. On June 15, 2010 Gamble's dream became reality when Antecello Preparatory Academy obtained its charter.
As Executive Director, Gamble, along with a Board of Directors, will oversee all operations of the school. Rice will provide professional development for the teachers; both Gamble's mom and Kimathi serve on the Board of Directors. Other Antecello Board members include James E. Cooper, Jr. - Finance & Operations Director, Walden School, Pasadena; A. Jo-An Turman - Senior Marketing Director, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles; Wilbur A. McKesson - Senior VP/Chief Lending Officer, Broadway Federal Bank; Ricky L. Lewis - Senior Project Manager, Raytheon Corporation; and William M. Stovall, PhD - Chief Administrative Officer, Shelby County Courts (TN). The board has appointed Dr. Jenneth King, who holds a Doctorate in Education, as Antecello's first Principal. Dr. King has been an administrator on middle and high school levels and has a background in education curriculum and special education.
The word "Antecello" is Latin meaning to be outstanding, to excel. The motto displayed on the school crest, "eruditio, provocator, emolior" states that they will "instruct, challenge, achieve" respectively. APA was envisioned to serve the south Los Angeles area as a bridge to span the educational gap between low performing, under-resourced schools, and those of acclaimed excellence. The mission of Antecello Preparatory Academy is to develop students who will be confident, competent, empowered, competitive, and prepared to participate effectively in the global community.
APA will give its students a perspective beyond the community it serves. In the south Los Angeles area destructive weapons are commonplace, but Antecello will seek to help those students counter negative experiences and self-defeating ideas with a passionate belief that high achievement is a function of proper behavior, not environmental conditions; of rigorous study, not socio-economic status; of respect for the academic environment, and not of race or historical trends. Armed with the weapon of knowledge, Gamble seeks to engage his students in a battle for an "excellent" education and a productive way of life, thereby making their lethal weapons their minds.
About APA
Antecello Preparatory Academy, located at 2320 Martin L. King Jr. Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90008, is now accepting applications for students entering the 6th grade in August 2011. For more information see www.antecello.org, or call 323-967-7422.
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