Success Stories
Student Spotlight: Jaina
Event Date: For Jaina, getting her high school diploma was an act of self-love. “I allowed things to happen to me because I didn’t believe I was good enough, was worthy, or mattered,” Jaina said. “The older I got, the more I started believing in myself, trying to love myself, and telling myself that I mattered. Getting […]
Read More“I Worked Nights and Weekends”: An Adult Diploma Story
Event Date: The first graduate of the Indiana Workforce Diploma program didn’t know she was a trailblazer. Jamie had enrolled in the free, accredited, online program after learning that a high school credential she’d earned a long time ago wasn’t from an accredited school. “It was a shock, for sure, and a real setback,” she said. But […]
Read MoreOak Harbor student graduates on time despite a health scare
Event Date: Billy moved a lot during her high school years. By her senior year, she’d been to four different high schools. Keeping up with coursework was difficult when she changed schools so often. Her cancer diagnosis made it feel impossible. “I was doing coursework packets in various places — from hospital beds and many, many different […]
Read MoreSchool Spotlight: Everett High School Dropout Recovery
Event Date: Everett High School celebrated 23 Everett Re-Engagement Academy graduates at summer graduation on August 19, 2021. These students overcame significant obstacles and earned their diplomas with help from Everett Re-Engagement Academy, their school’s dropout recovery partnership with Graduation Alliance. Dr. Cathy Woods, Director of College and Career Readiness at Everett Public Schools, lauded students for […]
Read MoreStudent Spotlight: Madison
Event Date: For nearly a year, Madison was in and out of the hospital. And by the time she was able to return to school on a regular basis, she had fallen badly behind in her studies. “It was a very stressful point in my life,” she said. “I was coming to realize that all my friends […]
Read MoreStudent Spotlight: Grace
Event Date: The further Grace fell behind in school, the worse her mental health issues seemed to become. And the worse those issues became, the further she fell behind. “I had kind of given up,” Grace said. Grace’s school counselor knew that Grace was smart, capable and hard-working. She simply needed another path. That’s why the counselor […]
Read MoreStudent spotlight: Alyssa
Event Date: Alyssa was on the cusp of dropping out and figured a GED would be fine. But when a college counselor explained to her the big differences between a GED and a high school diploma, Alyssa set to work trying to find an online high school where she could finish the requirements for her diploma while […]
Read MoreStudent spotlight: Rayschelle
Event Date: Rayschelle was proud when her sister earned a high school diploma, but the experience of seeing a younger sibling graduate reminded her that she needed to address some unfinished business. “I dropped out my senior year after I got pregnant, and I always knew I needed to go back to be a good example for […]
Read MoreStudent spotlight: Diego
Event Date: Diego had dreams of becoming a photographer. But in his sophomore year in high school, he was forced to leave school so that he could work to support his mother and younger brother. “My mom always wanted me to finish high school, so it was something I wanted to look after,” he said. “After a […]
Read MoreStaci’s story: ‘You can be better’
Event Date: Nobody tried to talk Staci out of leaving school before earning a diploma. And even if they had, she probably would have left anyway. She knew what it felt like to grow up without the support of her parents, and she didn’t want her siblings to have the same experience. “I had to grow up […]
Read More