Indianapolis Met is filled with teachers and staff who have a passion for helping people, especially students. Ms. Sharon Douglas is definitely one of those individuals.

Briahnna Gray graduated from The Excel Center® in Noblesville in February 2018. She graduated with a free job certification from The Excel Center with plans to earn an associate degree in physical therapy. At the graduation ceremony, Briahnna was honored with The Giver Award, which the school gives to students who are determined and inspiring. The award recipient was also a student speaker at her graduation ceremony and shared her journey with the community. Read her speech below:

“My Name is Briahnna Gray, and I’d be lying to you if I stood up here and tried to make you believe that fairy tales are real, and this was the easiest journey I have ever experienced. If it was easy, I wouldn’t be here at The Excel Center on this day getting my high school diploma. But who am I to tell you that it wasn’t? Well, I’m walking proof. So sit tight in your chairs and open your ears because, boy do I have a story to tell you.

Camree Banks graduated from The Excel Center® West in February 2018. Through her hard work and perseverance, she was able to overcome various obstacles. Her hard work paid off because she graduated Cum Laude and as a 21st Century Scholar. Camree plans to attend college in the fall to study photography, film and production. She shared her story at the graduation ceremony:

Cordarryl Gray, 29, enrolled at The Excel Center® Meadows in April 2017. He quickly proved that he was motivated to succeed.

Coming to the United States from a different country can present many obstacles but also opportunities. For Dior Thioune, 30, one of her opportunities was education.

When someone struggles with being in and out of the criminal justice system, it can be difficult to break the cycle. For many of these individuals, education becomes a solution to make that happen. Cortez Adkins, 23, enrolled at The Excel Center®, Goodwill’s high school for adults, in 2017 seeking a change in his life.

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 Center®, Goodwill’s high school for adults, after she saw a flier. In fall 2016, she decided to enroll to better her life and her children’s lives.

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 remain a leader at the University Heights location with the support of staff.

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 retrieve her transcripts for college. Her student records were never turned into the state, and she had to start over.

For parents, finding the right child care provider can be a difficult task. When her twin boys were 2 years old, Rachel Ragland faced this same decision. While researching, she found The Children’s Learning Center, a child development center and preschool for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years. After enrolling her sons, she loved it so much that she became a teacher there as well.