In 2018, when Richard Ramsey enrolled at The Excel Center®, Goodwill’s high school for adults, he didn’t know that he was taking the first step toward meeting his future fiance. 

Imagine being denied a basic education unless you pledge allegiance to political beliefs that you do not ascribe to. This is what Rizan Hajji Mohamed faced when he was forced to flee his home country of Syria. 

When Johnny Manson joined Goodwill in October 2016 as a part-time donation attendant, he had been struggling to secure employment due to past legal issues and a lifelong history of depression. 

After separating from her husband of 10 years, Samantha Russell turned to drugs in an effort to cope with the stress and anxiety she was experiencing. 

There are more than 447,450,000 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.

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.