As The Excel Center® in Shelbyville celebrates its 10th anniversary, the milestone serves as an opportunity to reflect on a decade of transformation, opportunity and community impact. Since opening its doors in 2016, the school has helped hundreds of adult learners earn their high school diplomas while creating pathways to college, career advancement and brighter futures. Few people have been more closely connected to that story than Khalilah Palmer.
Khalilah joined Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana, in 2006, beginning in the retail division as an assistant production manager and later a production manager, she quickly demonstrated a passion for leadership and a commitment to serving others.
When The Excel Center opened in Indianapolis in 2010, Khalilah saw an opportunity to combine her professional experience with her passion for helping individuals achieve their goals. As a life coach and later a College and Career Readiness Specialist, she worked directly with students, helping them navigate educational, personal and career challenges while preparing for life beyond graduation.
In 2016, Khalilah was selected to become the founding director of The Excel Center Shelbyville.
Opening a new school required much more than preparing classrooms and hiring staff. It meant building relationships throughout the community, establishing trust with prospective students, creating partnerships with local organizations and employers, and introducing a new educational model to the region. Under Khalilah’s leadership, The Excel Center Shelbyville quickly became a valuable community resource for adults seeking a second chance at earning their high school diploma.
Throughout the school's first decade, students found more than a classroom at The Excel Center. They found support systems, career pathways and opportunities to transform their futures. Community partnerships played a critical role in that success, helping connect students with workforce training, employment opportunities and resources that extended far beyond graduation.
One example of that impact was the school's Certified Clinical Medical Assistant program, where strong employer partnerships helped create direct pathways into the workforce. Through those relationships, graduates were able to move quickly from the classroom into meaningful careers, demonstrating the life-changing opportunities made possible through The Excel Center model.
For Khalilah, the most rewarding part of the work has always been the long-term success of students. “It’s amazing to see how lives are changed through the years,” she says. “I can see students I worked with 15 or 16 years ago who now own their own businesses and are thriving. It makes me feel good to know that I had a small part of that.”
The success of The Excel Center Shelbyville ultimately helped position Khalilah for her next chapter. After years of leading the school and supporting student success, she transitioned to The Excel Center National Office, where she now serves as Regional Director. In that role, she helps communities across the country launch new schools and expand access to educational opportunities for adult learners.
Since 2021, Khalilah has helped open schools nationwide, bringing lessons learned in Shelbyville to communities seeking to replicate the model's success. “The Excel Center has a lasting impact,” Khalilah says. “It changes the trajectory of people’s lives across the country.”
As Shelbyville celebrates 10 years of changing lives, Khalilah’s journey serves as a reminder of what is possible when passionate leaders, dedicated staff, community partners and determined students come together around a shared mission. The impact created over the past decade will continue to be felt for years to come, both in Shelbyville and far beyond.
Learn more about The Excel Center and its impact at www.excelcenter.org.