I’m earning my diploma, when I thought my only option was a GED

Not long ago, I dropped out of high school thinking that my only option was to get my GED. At the time that seemed like my best option because I wasn’t doing so well in school. About a year and a half later, though, I have finished all but two of my graduation requirements and this spring I will receive a diploma from the high school I left. 

In that year and a half, I completed two years worth of coursework and put my plan to join the United States Air Force after high school back on track.

Why did I leave school in the first place? I didn’t like class and I quit going for the most part. I had some friends who were not very good influences on me and they had cars, so we would go all over town instead of going to school. When I was at school, I often argued with my teachers and even some of the administrators. It wasn’t going very well for me.

To turn things around, I had to put in the work, but I was only able to do it because my school district offered me an alternative education program, Ector County Acceleration Academies, and that is where I found the support I needed to stay focused and engaged.

A new environment

My brother and sister graduated from the same high school I had attended before dropping out. They graduated and both went on to college. I saw how proud my mom was when they graduated and that made me want to earn a real diploma too, so when I heard that there was an alternative school that would allow me to do that, I was eager to start. A GED isn’t the same thing.

I was scared on my first day at the Academy. I’d been to an orientation where I learned about my requirements and saw the school, but I was still nervous. It didn’t even take me a day to warm up to the place, though. That first day was pretty laid back and I saw a lot of people I already knew. I thought, “Oh dang, I’m not alone.” Once I settled in, I finished a few classes in a couple days and realized this school was different. I was getting stuff done and I wasn’t going to have to sit in a class for eight months to do it.

At Ector County Acceleration Academies, I felt like every teacher was there to help me and that made a big difference. All that personal attention really helped. I needed it. I have ADHD – real bad – and I always want to get up and move around and there was always someone encouraging me to stay on task, telling me, “Just do a little more work and then you can go get your chips.” Yeah, they provide food, which really helped. Food and coffee. The teachers were so nice, never really telling me what to do, just always there, encouraging me to work a little harder or do a little bit more. They all really wanted me to get my diploma and I loved that.

I also loved that they had food available all day. They have kolaches, hot pockets, popsicles, chips, Cheez-Its, and coffee! When you have ADHD like I do, coffee really helps. It’s weird, but it works.

Pushing through challenges

The occasional kolach is a great motivator in the moment, but it doesn’t prevent burnout, which happened to me nearly a year into my time at the Academy. You see, I work too. I got a new job selling insurance and it was really nice to be able to take a few calls and then go do some school work. I still had a lot to learn about balancing school and work, however, and eventually I got a little too focused on work and missed school for several days.

Ms. Beth Webster called me and asked, “What’s going on? Are you okay? Do you need a ride to school? Because I can get an Uber over there right now.”

I told her I was fine and had just been working. Her call worked because I went back the next day. I did get a little talking to, about how work is important, but so is school, but I got back into the swing of things. I moved all of my work meetings to the evenings and focused on school during the days. They had given me a little extra push of encouragement and it worked.

Ms. Beth wasn’t the only adult at the school who helped me to stay engaged and on track. Ms. Amanda was my IEP teacher, so she was a constant presence pushing me and making sure I had everything I needed to succeed. Ms. Tracy was always telling me how many classes I had left, which was really encouraging because it always felt like I was so close to being done. I don’t have great control of my anger — I don’t take it out on other people, but I do get pretty quiet and withdrawn — and Ms. Susan could always tell when I was mad and would check in on me. Ms. Tara and Ms. A and Flanagan all helped me often in lots of different ways and even now that she’s the principal, Ms. Beth will call me into her office every once in a while just to chat and check up on me between meetings.

Surprises and lessons learned

My biggest surprises at the school have been pretty positive. Like, I was surprised that I finished all of my requirements for graduation early. I thought I was going to be in school for a long time. I had two and a half years worth of credits I needed to make-up when I started at the Academy, but I’ve been able to work hard and finish in less than one and a half years. 

I was surprised to learn that I can develop time management skills, and that I can be an adult and go to school at the same time. I’m still planning to join the Air Force, but now I know I can succeed in college even if I have a job at the same time. So, now I’m thinking about using the GI Bill to pursue higher education after the military.

Life throws curveballs at you sometimes, and I’ve even managed to throw a few at myself. But it doesn’t matter if you get knocked down a thousand times as long as you keep getting back up. The people at the Academy gave me the judgment-free encouragement I needed to pick myself up and the space and autonomy to do it in my own way and at my own pace. Earning my diploma is my accomplishment, but I don’t know if I could have achieved it without the team at Ector County Acceleration Academies believing in me and pushing me to find out what I am actually capable of.