Kristani and Bryson Kovach are not high school sweethearts in the traditional sense. Then again, neither of their experiences with high school were traditional at first, either.

Growing up, Katie Reigelsperger had little support from her parents, who struggled with substance abuse. Over the years, Katie was in and out of the foster care system and struggled to find the stability and guidance that she needed to make healthy choices. Then, at the age of 13, she found out she was pregnant.

As a sophomore at St. Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Leonard Lofton was a successful student with plans to be a history teacher. 

Rachel Hendrickson knew the direction she wanted to take her life, but she needed help crafting a plan. After six years employed as a retail associate at Goodwill, she began working with a career and life coach at Goodwill — also known as a Guide. Together, they charted a path to accomplishing her goals of getting a driver’s license, owning a car and being promoted to Team Leader.

Kiersten Manuel, 17, is an active high school senior. Not only does she achieve high grades and take Certified Nursing Assistant and dual credit classes, but Kiersten also participates in girls basketball and track. She is the Chief Financial Officer of her school’s student-run coffee shop, a staff intern and a part-time associate at Kroger.

Two years ago, if you had asked April Williams if she thought she would ever graduate high school, the answer likely would have been “no”.

Indianapolis Metropolitan High School is designed for students experiencing circumstances that may present a barrier to education. Supports such as free child care, transportation assistance, family empowerment coaching and small class sizes help students remove those barriers and meet their goals.

The Excel Center graduate, Nyla Wills story

When Genesis Ortiz withdrew from high school during her senior year, she never imagined that she’d be pursuing a teaching degree nearly 10 years later.