When Melissa Cotton left high school her senior year, it was after enduring years of bullying by her peers for a learning disability. 

When Angela Gregory enrolled at The Excel Center®, Goodwill’s tuition-free high school for adults, she was a single parent to her three-year-old son and struggling to secure stable, long-term housing. She also has autism. Her primary motivation for completing high school was her son.

The Excel Center®, Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana’s tuition-free high school for adults, recently celebrated a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its southeast Indianapolis location (2251 Sloan Avenue). Speakers included Kent A. Kramer, president & CEO of Goodwill, Mayor Joe Hogsett, Johnny Manson, school director, and Adriana Flores, a recent graduate. 

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. 

Born with autism spectrum disorder, John Thompson did not begin speaking until he was eight years old. He was homeschooled and had no prior experience with public school before enrolling at The Excel Center® in Shelbyville, Goodwill’s tuition-free high school for adults. As a result, he lacked experience socializing in an academic setting and worried that his peers might not accept him. 

At age five, Joselyn and her family immigrated from Honduras to Los Angeles, where she encountered challenges and life took an unexpected turn. 

The Excel Center®, Goodwill's tuition-free high school for adults, recently celebrated its summer graduating class. Designed to empower individuals to overcome adversity and reach their potential, The Excel Center provides a unique opportunity for adult learners, like Sylvia and Natacha Beogo, to earn an Indiana Core 40 high school diploma.

After the loss of her husband, Bunmi Oloke, along with her two young sons, made the decision to leave their homeland of Nigeria and seek asylum in the United States in December 2018. Overwhelmed by grief and grappling with the weight of her new reality, Bunmi found herself confronting not only the challenges of adapting to a foreign land but also the formidable task of preserving her mental well-being.

Last month, Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana hosted the The Excel Center® National Conference. The National Conference is an opportunity for individuals operating within The Excel Center network to share information, hear from graduates and learn best practices in serving students. Attendees were invited to panel discussions, sessions from industry experts and addresses from Leaders from Goodwills and The Excel Center locations across the country. 

Every first Sunday in June is National Cancer Survivors Day®, a time to celebrate life, increase public awareness and call for more resources and further research. Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana is humbled to share the cancer journeys of the many leaders contributing to our mission of changing lives through education, employment and health.