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. 

Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana is celebrating the opening of its newest store in Danville on Thursday, October 14, at 9 a.m. Located at 8 Ridge Avenue, the store features a large inventory of clothing, housewares, toys, books and more. Store hours are Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The donation center is also open during normal business hours.

A word you hear often around The Excel Center Ⓡ, Goodwill’s high school for adults, is grit. Recently, I met a student who truly embodies this. John Thompson exudes passion into everything he does and preserves regardless of the challenges he may be experiencing, continuously inspiring those around him. I’m honored to introduce you to John and share his story.

Rocky Nolen is a Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana employee who currently works as part of the janitorial team at the Army Reserves on 96th street in Indianapolis. As a member of the Indiana Army Reserves from 1978-1986, this role is perfect for him. Rocky has overcome several obstacles since the start of his journey with Goodwill, including drug addiction, experiencing homelessness and hospitalization due to a coma. Today though, Rocky is able to support a healthy, beautiful family thanks to his drive to overcome life’s challenges and a training program he learned about in 2005. 

June 19, or “Juneteenth” as it’s commonly known, commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved Black residents in Texas learned from Union soldiers that they had been freed by the Emancipation Proclamation more than two years before. 

Bobetta Wright was one of Indiana’s 7% of teenage girls to get pregnant while she was in high school. Due to circumstances surrounding her pregnancy, Bobetta was told to leave her high school and never returned to finish. Without a high school diploma, Bobetta and her husband were unable to find employment, leaving them unable to secure stable housing. Her family bounced around from place to place for several years, even having to spend one winter out in a tent.

Madison Stevenson, 20, has big goals that include earning a PhD and pursuing a career in engineering. Yet, there was a point in time that Madison believed she might not earn a high school diploma. 

Ashleigh Schneck started at Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana’s Clarksville location in December 2017. She was four months sober after 21 years of living in addiction. She had voluntarily moved into a sober living house for women the month before and was starting over in every aspect of her life.