Jessica Monroe left high school when she was 16 years old. Originally from Muncie, Indiana, she dealt with several barriers at school, including a lack of support from peers.

Martha Moraga worked hard to raise her four children while earning a high school diploma at The Excel Center®, Goodwill’s high school for adults. She strives to be a role model for all of her children - with the goal of becoming a medical assistant - and her teachers believe she already sets a great example.

At 17 years old, many teenagers are focused on things like prom and hanging out with friends. Sarah Siegel’s teenage years were spent a little differently, however, when she suddenly found herself living on her own during her sophomore year of high school.

The Excel Center®, a tuition-free high school that provides adults the opportunity to earn a Core 40 diploma, celebrated over 300 graduates at its winter graduation ceremonies on February 14 and 15. Since opening its first location in 2010, The Excel Center has seen consistent growth, including the expansion to 14 locations throughout central and southern Indiana.

DeShawn Minor reflects on his early youth as a difficult time. He didn’t fully understand how his actions impacted those around him, especially his mom and younger siblings. He describes how he had anger issues and “goofed off” a lot at school, resulting in several suspensions and finally, expulsion. He was placed into a group home as a teen and an alternative school in another city.

Ask any instructor or coach at The Excel Center® Shadeland about David Ramirez, and their face will quickly light up.

Amber Copley is a proud high school graduate at the age of 23. She initially dropped out of school when she was a junior in high school, at the age of 16, due to emotional and financial difficulties.

Success stories at Goodwill are more than a stamp of “this story is done.” Instead, they acknowledge that the individual reached their goals, overcame their challenges and launched into their next chapter. Johnny Manson is just such a success story. He demonstrated tremendous growth in education, employment and financial goals.

On December 6, 2018, history was made. The Excel Center®, Goodwill’s high school for adults, hosted their very first Hour of Code at several of its campuses. At the West 34th Street location, around 30 students took time out of their class schedule to learn computer programming— for most of them, it was their first time coding.