Indianapolis Metropolitan High School (Indy Met) is a free public school offering a high school education to students in grades 9-12 that is operated by Goodwill Education Initiatives. It is a best-fit school for students experiencing circumstances that may present a barrier to education and places an emphasis on ensuring students enroll in college or enter into a career that offers a living wage post-graduation. The school recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. 

Since 2004, nearly 1,000 students have earned their diploma at Indy Met, like Daesha Cottrell. Although Daesha graduated from Indianapolis Met in 2019, it was 2017 – the year she enrolled – that represented a significant turning point in her life. She learned about Indianapolis Met from her cousin, who previously attended the school, and decided to enroll after learning transportation assistance was available.

“The free transportation helped me manage my time as a busy student,” Daesha said. 

She maintained a 3.85 GPA while participating in several extracurricular activities, including volleyball, basketball, and track and field. Her hard work and dedication earned her a 21st Century Scholarship, which covers up to four years of undergraduate tuition. 

She also received multiple scholarships through the Goodwill Foundation of Central & Southern Indiana to assist with her education expenses, including the William F. Kraas and Julia Kraas scholarship to assist with tuition expenses during her first year of college; a McClelland Scholarship, which helped cover additional expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic; and the Bowen Barrier Busting Scholarship, which helped cover her meal plan, the purchase of a vehicle and housing assistance as she approached graduation.

As a first-generation college student with socioeconomic barriers, she was admitted to Indiana’s Groups Scholars Program, which not only provided financial support, but also taught her other important life skills, allowing her to graduate college without any debt. 

In December 2023, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology for sports marketing and management from the Indiana University School of Public Health and Kinesiology. Her dream job includes marketing for the Indiana Pacers or Indianapolis Colts, but she is currently focused on discipleship. Daesha has also maintained relationships with some of the educators she met while at Indianapolis Met.

“My high school volleyball coach invited me to coach with her in 2021, and we are currently coaching at Horizon Christian School,” Daesha said. “I am also a physical education teacher and assistant Athletic Director at the school.” 

Being a first-generation college graduate has come with pressures, but Daesha is proud of her successes thus far.

“My biggest strength is perseverance,” she said. 

She also credits her foster parents for her success and for moving her into their home back in 2017.

“They have been my lifeline and my biggest supporters,” Daesha said. “I would never have been able to achieve what I have without them.”

To learn more about Indianapolis Metropolitan High School or to enroll, visit our website.