Courtney Bell is a 1997 graduate of Buford High School. She is the daughter of Greg Bell and Vivian Bell. Courtney has one sibling, an older brother Greg Tremayne Bell who is also a BHS graduate. Courtney and her brother grew up in Buford and attended Buford City Schools for their entire K-12 career.
Buford is known for keeping their students active and stressing the importance of being involved in sports or other extracurricular activities. Courtney was kept busy from her earliest years with playing rec league basketball and cheerleading. She went on to play basketball all four years of high school being recognized as the Scholar-Athlete of the Month and the Player of the Month by the Gwinnett Tip-Off Club. She was the basketball team captain her senior year. In 9th-grade, Courtney made the varsity cheerleading squad for both football and basketball cheer and stayed involved with that throughout high school. She was named Miss Cheerleader in the 10th grade and was the Captain for both squads. And if those activities were not enough, Courtney also was on the track team where she competed in the 100-meter, 200-meter, 4×100 relay, 4×200 relay, and the high jump. She earned the Rookie of the Year award her 9th-grade year and her 4×200 relay team broke the school record plus she tied the school record in the high jump.
Courtney was involved in Chorus all four years and was awarded, Best Alto. She was in the Beta Club and was the Class President during her junior and senior years. Her peers voted her onto both the football and basketball homecoming courts, as well as, voted her as the “Most Likely to Succeed” and “Most Athletic.” Even with her busy schedule she maintained a 3.8 GPA and was in the top 10% of her graduating class.
She says that growing up in such a supportive yet demanding environment really set her up to be successful. “I was raised and supported by my Buford village,” states Courtney. There were just too many teachers and staff during her time at Buford to just name one as being the most influential in her life. She goes on to name a group of teachers/staff from her “village.” She names Ms. Beauty Baldwin, Superintendent; Ms. Gober, Kindergarten; Ms. Manis, 4th-grade; Ms. Marjorie Wilson, Counselor; Ms. Bonnie Davis, Geometry & Cheer Coach; Dr. Chris Fowler, Chorus Director; Ms. Stephanie Gailey Hosch, Language Arts; Coach Gerald Arnold, Social Studies; Mr. Duncan, Science; and Coach Tarpkins, Girls Basketball Coach. “They were kind, loving, innovative, trailblazers who fostered an environment that allowed me to thrive and grow,” says Courtney.
Courtney went on to Georgia State University where she was Cum Laude all four years and was a member of the Eta Mu Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She graduated with a 3.68 GPA and earned her bachelor’s degree in Urban Policy Studies with a specialization in Human Resources. Courtney earned her MBA at Shorter University and received her certificate in Human Resources from Kennesaw State University after she completed its Human Resources Management Program. She holds several other certifications and accreditations in the Human Resources field.
Currently, Courtney resides in Sandy Springs, Ga. and works for KIPP Metro Atlanta Schools which is a network of ten public charter schools. She is the Managing Director of Talent meaning she oversees their regional recruiting, human resources, and teaching residency program.
Growing up in Buford and being raised by a village made Courtney the strong woman she is today. She believes in the concept of it taking a village to raise a child, that every person must be invested in the youth of a community. Courtney is practicing that concept every day by finding the best of the best staff at KIPP Metro Atlanta. Once a Wolf, Always a Wolf!
