On March 29, our school’s namesake and one of the most influential people in Austin, passed away. Doctor Charles Akins was more than just a man that our school was named after, he was a symbol of progress, courage and so much more.

Dr. Akins truly and deeply cared about his community. He attended as many events for our school as he could and he constantly talked about how proud he was of every single one of us. Anybody who was ever around him can tell you what it felt like to be near him. Col. Oliverio said “every time I talked to Dr. Akins, when I got done I felt like I had just been to church. He was the most pleasant, positive, spiritual person I think I’ve ever run into.”

As we mourn the loss of Dr. Akins, The Eagle’s Eye editorial board wants to take a moment to highlight the many things he did for us, for the school district, and for all of Austin.

Dr. Akins truly is one of the most inspiring people. His strength and perseverance in the face of extreme adversity is inspiring to all of us.

Although Dr. Akins is the namesake of our school, and he means so much to the students and staff that go here. Without him this school wouldn’t be as amazing as it is today. We as Akins Eagles carry his name wherever we go and we represent him to the best of our ability. When we win games and competitions we show everyone how dedicated we are to whatever we put our heart into.

He showed us how important it is to push ourselves through any obstacle and not let us stop us from achieving greatness. He went through so much and we are showing him that we see what he did and how important it is.

When the our school was named after Dr. Akins in 1998, the Board of Trustee’s wanted anybody who go to this school to uphold his legacy and for people to know where he came from and what he did before this school was named after him.

Many students and staff don’t ever get the chance to learn all of Dr. Akins’ past. One of the most inspiring things about Dr. Akins is when he led the integration program at the new Anderson High School in northwest Austin. It was the first school to integrate black and white students from different neighborhoods together. Doing this was no easy task. Akins had to work hard as principal to give everyone the feeling of equal treatment; According to an article in the Austin American-Statesman, for students who had to ride the bus across from East Austin to West Austin to get to school, he would drive students in his own vehicle so that they could get to school early enough to try out for cheerleading or drill team.

There are countless examples of things Dr. Akins did just because he cared so deeply about education and equality and all of us. When his passing was announced you could feel a deep sorrow that affected everyone. He means so much to everyone here at Akins and we must all continue on and make him proud.