When Roddrick’s wife secretly signed him up for orientation at The Excel Center® , Goodwill’s tuition-free high school for adults, he thought she was joking. Decades after leaving school in the ninth grade, he walked into class  ready for a fresh start.

Many years earlier, Roddrick had dropped out in the ninth grade at age 17. Walking into The Excel Center years later, brought back memories of what school once felt like: the

structure, the excitement and even the nerves. 

“It felt like being back in high school again,” he said. “Four periods, lunch and everything.” 

But this time, something was different. This time, he had purpose and he had support.

For Roddrick, The Excel Center quickly became more than a school. It became a community. With child drop-in services next door, he could bring his then three-year-old twins to campus and have lunch with them during the day. 

“It made it possible for me to focus on my education while still being there for them,” he said.

When The Excel Center introduced a student council, Roddrick ran for president, something he’d never done in traditional high school. He and his co-president campaigned not with posters or promises, but with kindness.  

“We noticed people were hungry,” he said. “So, we started bringing in fruit, snacks and water. Not to persuade anyone, but because there was a need.” He paid for everything out of his own pocket, and the food always disappeared before lunch. The initiative became a yearlong effort to support his classmates, and even after graduation, he continued doing it.

Today, Roddrick channels that same compassion through his public speaking and consulting business focused on youth empowerment. He uses funds from his speaking engagements to continue supporting students and families.

“I don’t want to be the highest-paid speaker,” he said. “I want that money to go back into the community.”

Now a husband, father of five and board member at SOAR Elementary and Sewall Child Development Center in Denver, Roddrick embodies the long-term impact of The Excel Center. 

“A big thank you,” he says to those who helped bring the school to Colorado. “It’s needed. You’re helping people gain a better sense for tomorrow and make the best of today.”

His advice to future students is simple: “Don’t give up. This is a place where you’ll find support, diversity and people who care. Enroll. Show up. Learn. Get that diploma.” 

Roddrick’s story is a testament to what’s possible when opportunity meets determination.

The Excel Center National Office is part of Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana. Support for the national expansion of The Excel Center comes from Truist Foundation and The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation. 

Read more about The Excel Center’s national growth and impact: The Excel Center Expands to 47 Schools.