For adults, returning to high school can be a difficult task especially when life’s obstacles arise. However, with the right support, they can still thrive in a high school setting to reach their ultimate goal—graduation. Paige Mallory, 28, learned about The Excel Center®, Goodwill’s high school for adults, after she saw a flier. In fall 2016, she decided to enroll to better her life and her children’s lives.

Benjamin Westley learned about Goodwill’s Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) in 2013. A serious car accident, caused by a diabetic blackout, left him unable to return to his janitorial duties at the St. Vincent Heart Center.

After graduating from high school, you may think you’d never have to return. Jennifer Dunn didn’t believe she would have to either. She graduated from a private school in 1998, but a few years later found out that all of the records were lost when she tried to retrieve her transcripts for college. Her student records were never turned into the state, and she had to start over.

Greg Wieneke has been employed at Goodwill for nearly a decade. For many years, he dreamed of riding a bicycle across the country, in part, to prove to himself that he could. Greg was born with cerebral palsy, a disorder that affects balance, movement and muscle tone, and epilepsy, a central nervous system disorder.

Geno Cox, blind since birth, recently celebrated 10 years as an associate at the Anderson Goodwill store. After attending the Indiana School for the Blind, Geno had difficulty finding a job locally.  

When Heather Simmons learned about The Excel Center®, a free high school for adults, she’d been out of high school for 18 years, working in the fast food industry. At 35 years old, she  wanted more for herself and her family.

Michelle Williamson doesn’t remember the date or even the year that she lost both of her legs. Her memories are hazy. She was struggling with addiction and homelessness when she acquired frostbite in her toes. They became infected after doctors amputated them, resulting in the amputation of both legs from the knee down. Shortly after, her youngest son was born, and the state was threatening to take custody of him.

Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana developed work-based learning opportunities for employers that are seeking new talent pools for their company, and to serve Hoosier workers in need of critical, hands-on training opportunities. For minimal cost, employer partners receive the benefit of added labor, and the ability to preview before hiring as they work toward building a talented pool of skilled employees.