Dr. Toni Williams joined Goodwill in 2021 to lead The Excel Center in University Heights, but her journey in education began long before now.

The Excel Center®, a free public high school for adults, is currently accepting enrollment applications. New classes begin February 21 at all 15 Excel Center locations.

In 2011, Tulay Ergin moved from Turkey to the United States to support her husband’s pursuit of a Ph.D. After a 10-year break from her own career in surgical nursing, she wanted to rejoin the workforce.

Gloria Combs has shown amazing drive and passion for education, always pushing limits to prove her capabilities. After graduating from The Excel Center® in 2013 and finishing her high school diploma, Gloria went on to pursue a career as a life coach to inspire others just as she was inspired by her own life coach. She has been a major advocate for education ever since. 

The Excel Center®, Goodwill’s high school for adults, will celebrate its newest graduating class this December at various locations across central and southern Indiana.

Anyone who has spent time at The Excel Center® in Clarksville during the last three years knows Ana Gonzalez, but not many know the full story behind her path to Goodwill. Ana is the director of the Young Learner’s Child Care (YLCC) in Clarksville, where her time is split between planning each day’s activities and putting those plans into action. Years before her time at Goodwill, Ana’s journey began in her small hometown in Mexico. She enjoyed her childhood, but as the region grew more complicated with heavy cartel presence, her family decided to move to the United States.

Faith Hicks is a junior at Indianapolis Metropolitan High School who initially enrolled as a freshman a few years ago. Perhaps it’s her tenure at the school that gives her an air of confidence as she walks with her peers through the Indy Met hallways, but right away, it’s easy to see that Faith is one-of-a-kind. 

Laura Torres moved to Indiana at 22 years old without an education and spoke only Spanish. Today, Laura speaks fluent English, is finishing her high school diploma through The Excel Center®, Goodwill’s tuition-free high school for adults, and is pursuing a degree in psychology after she graduates.

October is National Dropout Awareness Month. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over 12% of Hoosier working-age adults lack a high school diploma. The Excel Center®, Goodwill’s free high school for adults, is working to decrease that rate by providing adult students the opportunity to pick up where they left off in school, providing support and resources to meet their academic and career goals. 

“Sitting and staring at a wall for six months really messes with you,” said Indianapolis Met High School senior Fayia Samba.