Single Mother Overcomes Obstacles to Reach High School Graduation
For adults, returning to high school can be a difficult task especially when life’s obstacles arise. However, with the right support, they can still thrive in a high school setting to reach their ultimate goal—graduation. Paige Mallory, 28, learned about The Excel...
From Part-Time to Full-Time | Courtney McCowan, Excel Center Graduate
Courtney McCowan did not expect to drop out of high school only three months away from graduation. However, when she became pregnant with her first child, her health became her top priority. “I struggled balancing school and health,” Courtney said. “As a...
Kenyatta Tyler Perseveres at The Excel Center
Surrounding yourself with the right people can bring out qualities in yourself that you didn’t know existed. That’s exactly what happened when Kenyatta Tyler enrolled at The Excel Center® . Even with life’s trials and obstacles, Kenyatta was able to stay on track and...
Mother Pursues Diploma to Increase Job Opportunities
Dropping out of high school can leave an individual uncertain of their future and unmotivated to pursue new opportunities. However, when Angie Contreras was laid off from her job for eight months and was rejected after 14 job applications, she knew she needed to do...
Adult Education Helped Heather Aim Higher
When Heather Simmons learned about The Excel Center®, a free high school for adults, she’d been out of high school for 18 years, working in the fast food industry. At 35 years old, she wanted more for herself and her family. “I had been on my own since 15 years...
Supporting Family While Earning a Diploma
When Gary Moore was 11 years old, his mother became ill, and he dropped out of school to work and help support his younger sisters. As his siblings grew older, Gary thought he might return to school, until his family suffered more hardship. “After my...
The Excel Center celebrates 3,000th Graduate
The Excel Center, a unique high school that provides adults the opportunity to earn a Core 40 diploma, plans to celebrate surpassing 3,000 graduates at its winter graduation ceremonies on February 15 and 16. Having opened its first location in...
Disabilities Aren’t Stopping this Excel Center Student
Jacob Barrett, a valued associate at the Goodwill store in Shelbyville, originally graduated from the Indiana School for the Blind. He decided to pursue a life skills path that focused on achieving independence as an adult rather than a Core 40 diploma. In addition to...
The Excel Center—A Look Back at our adult high school
In 2010, Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana recognized that over half-a-million adults in Indiana lacked a high school diploma. Having already opened Indianapolis Metropolitan High School in 2004, a public charter school for traditional-aged students that...
Jennifer Dunn Pursues Her Diploma Again
After graduating from high school, you may think you’d never have to return. Jennifer Dunn didn’t believe she would have to either. She graduated from a private school in 1998, but a few years later found out that all of the records were lost when she tried to...