Seven years ago, Karen Narvaez arrived in the United States from Nicaragua with little knowledge of the English language, but with a strong thirst for knowledge and a drive to succeed. After seeking out basic English courses, she was referred to The Excel Center by a friend in 2015. Unsure at the time of her ultimate career and education goals, Karen enrolled at The Excel Center part-time, with the idea that earning her diploma would help improve her fluency in English. However, Karen’s motivation soon began to change. Despite a transportation barrier, she set — and accomplished — her goal of attending school every day, and even completed her courses at the top of her class in Anderson.

Kiersten Manuel, 17, is an active high school senior. Not only does she achieve high grades and take Certified Nursing Assistant and dual credit classes, but Kiersten also participates in girls basketball and track. She is the Chief Financial Officer of her school’s student-run coffee shop, a staff intern and a part-time associate at Kroger.

Zachary Mobley, 30, may be one of the first students to attend the newest campus in Bloomington, but he is no stranger to The Excel Center®. Zachary first attended the University Heights location in 2017, making the drive from Bloomington to Indianapolis with his sister daily. Though he received a Certificate of Completion in his youth, Zachary struggled to find consistent, gainful employment without a diploma.

Kee Lab moved to Indiana in 2014 after living in a refugee camp in Thailand. Once her family settled in the Indianapolis area, Kee set out to understand American culture and to learn English. Shortly after she started attending her new high school, she found out that she was pregnant.

October is National Dropout Prevention Month, but Indianapolis Metropolitan High School works year-round on removing the barriers that many students face in trying to complete their education such as homelessness, criminal records, teen pregnancy and more.

Two years ago, if you had asked April Williams if she thought she would ever graduate high school, the answer likely would have been “no”.

Tom Wood Ford recently hosted an open house for Goodwill’s Excel Center students, graduates and mission program participants to learn firsthand about employment opportunities and a service tech apprenticeship program. 

Meet Alexis Hornung & Andrew Weston

Alexis Hornung and Andrew Weston work together at their local Goodwill store in Corydon. They each turned 18 years old and graduated from high schools in Harrison County this past spring. Alexis, who graduated from Lanesville Senior High School with academic honors, always enjoyed being around kids and tutoring her classmates. Her passion for teaching was solidified at a young age by her stepmother, who taught special education.

Itzel Quintero is a mother of five children with a strong sense of will and determination. Initially living in California, Itzel and her family settled down in Indiana to start over and relieve some of their financial burdens. However, new financial barriers emerged after the cross country move. Itzel struggled to find solid employment that would allow her to provide for her children.

Indianapolis Metropolitan High School is designed for students experiencing circumstances that may present a barrier to education. Supports such as free child care, transportation assistance, family empowerment coaching and small class sizes help students remove those barriers and meet their goals.