A native of Oklahoma, Ti’Sharon Thompson moved to Indiana to live with her aunt as a teenager. She discovered Indianapolis Metropolitan High School her junior year.
The typical student at The Excel Center® – Goodwill’s high school for adult learners – is between 18-24 years old, but returning to school at the age of 47 isn’t the only characteristic that separates Brenda Leake from most of her classmates.
Although a teenager at the time, when Dominique Daye learned she was pregnant, her priorities became her son and planning for their future. She didn't have a car or a stable living environment, so she moved from Indianapolis to O'Connor House, a home for single mothers and their children located in Carmel, where she stayed for more than 18 months until she could secure a place of her own.
Denise Floyd enrolled at The Excel Center when she was nearly 30 years old. She had previously left high school after falling behind in her classes. Denise supported her family working various odd jobs, but she wanted a career.
Kent Kramer, President and CEO of Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana, recently joined Candy Barksdale, retired CEO of the former Goodwill of Southern Indiana, to discuss the merger of their organizations.
Born and raised in Brazil, Guilherme “William” Sprowl and his family moved to Indianapolis when he was 17. He admits, he’s always been interested in math and science, which is what brought him to Indianapolis Met. “My parents wanted me at a school that would really challenge me,” said William.
When Alia Schleppenbach enrolled at The Excel Center in Lafayette in April 2016, she had no idea her mother would pass away just a few months later.
“Melissa’s strength, integrity, academic achievements and passion for service are highly motivating to me as a teacher and a person. She’s going to leave her mark on the world when she leaves the Met.”
– Jessica Ungerecht, Instructor, Indianapolis Metropolitan High School
As Kristal Lebron prepared to begin her senior year of high school, she found out she was pregnant. Kristal immediately enrolled in Goodwill’s Nurse-Family Partnership program.
“I would recommend Nurse-Family Partnership,” Kristal said. “It teaches new moms everything they need to know about being pregnant and having a baby. I don’t know what I would do without Kasey, my nurse.”
Kristal wanted to graduate high school before her baby was born, so Kasey helped her enroll at The Excel Center, Goodwill’s school for adult learners. A dedicated and determined student, Kristal graduated with her diploma and received her pharmacy tech certification within three months. During that time, Kristal also met regularly with Kasey to learn about prenatal health and how to prepare for a new baby. Kristal learned about taking care of herself, all while working on college courses and receiving top grades.
“Kasey taught me a lot about my daughter,” Kristal said. “I know the importance of breastfeeding, safe sleep, home safety and using a car seat correctly.”
Kristal gave birth to a healthy baby and accepted her first job at a pharmacy warehouse. She continues to meet with her nurse to learn how to foster her daughter’s development and is enrolled in classes at Ivy Tech studying criminal justice. She wants to become either a police officer or a probation officer after she finishes her associate’s degree.