Indianapolis Metropolitan High School is a best-fit school for teenage students experiencing circumstances that may present a barrier to education. In 2020, those circumstances included a pandemic that entirely uprooted education across the globe, but our students adapted and persevered, and our faculty did an amazing job at ensuring we could continue to provide high-quality, rigorous instruction and individualized support. 

There are more than 447,450 working-age Hoosiers who lack a high school diploma. Prior to The Excel Center, Goodwill’s unique high school for adults, there were few options for people like Dontre Smith who wanted to earn one.

Meet Dakota McLaughlin. Dakota is a proud graduate of The Excel Center® and is working towards earning a Master’s degree in Social Work. Just a few years ago, however, he was in a very different situation.  

In summer 2019, Goodwill’s Excel Center partnered with Tom Wood and Ford Motor Company to implement an Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification program at our Shadeland and University Heights locations. Tom Woods’ sponsorship of The Excel Center provides students with access to the curriculum at no cost; in return, Tom Wood has access to a pipeline of qualified service technicians—each with a path to a well-paying career.

A criminal record in Indiana can follow you past any time served, creating barriers to securing housing, finding employment, obtaining custody of children, achieving professional licensing, and more. In 2011 Indiana passed an expungement law allowing those with a criminal record who meet qualifying criteria to get those records sealed, but the eligibility requirements and process to file for expungement can be a challenge. 

The next three years have the potential to be among the most important in our more than 90-year history. Although the COVID-19 pandemic created obstacles, Goodwill remained vigilant, working with our employees, board members and other supporters to make decisions that have put us in a place of strength. We are excited to deliver a Strategic Plan that expands and leverages existing opportunities, while also identifying, exploring and developing new ones. 

In 1989, upon graduating from high school, Shawn Basore joined Goodwill’s Commercial Services division. He had no work history or job skills and participated in Goodwill’s Work Experience Program, which provided job training and employment services to persons with disabilities, preparing them for successful employment. 

When Edward Rickenbach first joined Goodwill in 2009 as an assistant site leader, he was struggling with homelessness and severe depression — a diagnosis he had first received in college but learned would be a lifelong battle. In just 18 months, he worked hard and was promoted to site leader, where he was responsible for managing the store and all of its employees.

Goodwill believes that our strength lies in the diversity among the broad range of people we employ, educate and serve. We pledge to be informed and to create an equitable culture and workplace that will support the changes we want to see in our community.

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.