Who is AIM?

The Academy for Innovation in Medicine (AIM) is a public charter middle and high school in Atlanta, GA, dedicated to equipping the next generation of healthcare leaders with the knowledge, confidence, and credentials they need to actively design, build, and own successful futures in high-demand and emerging medical careers and beyond.

AIM's innovative model integrates a rigorous STEMM curriculum with dual enrollment, allowing students to graduate with a high-school diploma, an associate’s degree, and career credentials, ready to earn a living wage or continue their education.

Meet the expert minds making AIM a reality

The AIM founders didn’t meet by chance—they came together through decades of shared commitment to service, excellence, and real-world outcomes for students. From charter school leadership and district transformation, to healthcare workforce development and student well-being, each person brings a critical piece of the vision.

AIM is what happens when the right people commit to building a new future, together.

Dr. Kristy Beam - The Founder & Visionary

Kristy Beam has spent her life proving that excellence and equity are not opposites.
From Georgia classrooms to international schools in Spain to leading teaching and learning in Decatur, she has shaped environments where students thrive and educators rise.

But her vision for AIM began long before the school had a name.
It grew from a question she carried for years:

“What if Atlanta built a school where rigorous academics and real healthcare pathways were seamlessly connected—starting in middle school?”

As a teacher, she saw brilliance overlooked.
As a principal, she built global learning experiences.
As an Assistant Superintendent, she helped lead Decatur to the highest reading scores in the state.

But AIM was the step beyond all of that—the chance to design a school that doesn’t just prepare students for the future, but positions them to shape it.

She founded AIM because she knew Atlanta needed a new model:
a school that expands opportunity, transforms workforce futures, and builds the next generation of diverse healthcare leaders.

Eric González - The Systems Builder

Eric has spent two decades designing structures that make equity real.

He’s seen how disconnected education, workforce, and policy systems leave young people navigating pathways never built for them.

When he looked at AIM, he saw a chance to prove that operational excellence is an act of justice — that a school can be both a launchpad for students and a blueprint for how a region invests in its own future.

His “yes” to AIM was a commitment to building the systems that make opportunity possible.

Jenay Hicks — The Culture Shaper

As an executive trauma therapist and consultant for Grady’s Office of Health Equity, Jenay has sat with the people behind the statistics — students, residents, teachers, and professionals carrying invisible weight. She understands that you cannot build brilliant professionals on top of burnout.

Belonging, emotional safety, and mental health are not extras; they are infrastructure.

Jenay came to AIM because she believes a school can be both rigorous and healing — a place where students feel seen, supported, and emotionally prepared for high-stakes healthcare environments.

Kelly Bemus - The Architect of Possibility

Kelly has led teams, opened schools, and engineered the operational foundations that help students and teachers thrive. Her belief is clear: students rise when adults build environments designed for their success. At AIM, she ensures every system — logistics, compliance, scheduling, and operations — is built with precision, compassion, and unwavering commitment to student opportunity.

Her “yes” was rooted in creating a school where the vision actually works in practice, every single day.

Our Why

We built AIM because Atlanta deserves a model that:

Unleashes talent in every neighborhood
Diversifies the healthcare workforce
Honors families’ hopes
Heals systems from within
Gives young people a future they can see themselves in

We built AIM because the next generation of healthcare leaders is already here. Our job is to give them the education, community, and opportunity worthy of their brilliance.

Together—Kristy, Eric, Jenay, and Kelly—we are proving that when vision meets courage, a school can do more than educate. It can transform the systems our students will one day lead.

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What makes us different?

Georgia’s First and Only 6-12 STEMM Academy Focused on Healthcare: The first public school in Georgia to blend rigorous STEMM learning with direct clinical experience and dual enrollment, leading to a high school diploma and associate degree.

Workforce-Ready at Graduation: Students earn multiple credentials—including professional certifications—enabling them to step directly into growing, high-paying healthcare roles after high school.
Accelerated College Pathways: Early college courses and hands-on practicum with top Atlanta medical partners save families thousands in tuition and fast-track students' professional journeys.
Real-World Learning, Every Year: Professional simulation labs and paid internships starting as early as 10th grade, exposing students to the realities and rewards of healthcare careers.
Personalized Growth: Small-school environment, one-on-one mentorship, and flexible learning plans meet students where they are, then propel them to new heights.
Inclusive Access: Open to all Atlanta students—no tuition, no barriers, just bold opportunity.