Denise Floyd enrolled at The Excel Center when she was nearly 30 years old. She had previously left high school after falling behind in her classes. Denise supported her family working various odd jobs, but she wanted a career.
When Alia Schleppenbach enrolled at The Excel Center in Lafayette in April 2016, she had no idea her mother would pass away just a few months later.
As Kristal Lebron prepared to begin her senior year of high school, she found out she was pregnant. Kristal immediately enrolled in Goodwill’s Nurse-Family Partnership program.
“I would recommend Nurse-Family Partnership,” Kristal said. “It teaches new moms everything they need to know about being pregnant and having a baby. I don’t know what I would do without Kasey, my nurse.”
Kristal wanted to graduate high school before her baby was born, so Kasey helped her enroll at The Excel Center, Goodwill’s school for adult learners. A dedicated and determined student, Kristal graduated with her diploma and received her pharmacy tech certification within three months. During that time, Kristal also met regularly with Kasey to learn about prenatal health and how to prepare for a new baby. Kristal learned about taking care of herself, all while working on college courses and receiving top grades.
“Kasey taught me a lot about my daughter,” Kristal said. “I know the importance of breastfeeding, safe sleep, home safety and using a car seat correctly.”
Kristal gave birth to a healthy baby and accepted her first job at a pharmacy warehouse. She continues to meet with her nurse to learn how to foster her daughter’s development and is enrolled in classes at Ivy Tech studying criminal justice. She wants to become either a police officer or a probation officer after she finishes her associate’s degree.
Chelsea Armistead’s educational path veered off course in junior high when she was diagnosed with a learning disability. At the time, to qualify for an accommodation, a student had to be failing all subjects or courses. Chelsea was only failing two. Rather than have her daughter continue to struggle without assistance or fail all her courses, Chelsea’s mother decided to home school her. After about a year of home schooling, her parents became too busy to continue, so Chelsea taught herself to be a better reader and writer but had trouble with math.
After becoming pregnant at a young age, Ashlee Roy dropped out of high school and thought her dreams were over. However, in 2015, she graduated from The Excel Center in Lafayette, earning her high school diploma. As a member of student council, she spoke at the graduation ceremony. The following are her words of encouragement to her classmates.
In all her roles — student, wife, mother, daughter and employee — Nidia Cuevas is a BOSS. At age 21, she’s already accomplished several goals that she hadn’t thought she would like owning a home, pursuing a nursing degree and having a marriage and family.
In the face of multiple challenges, Heather Cardenas struggled yet ultimately persevered and excelled. She ran away from home at 17 years old without earning her high school diploma. She endured and eventually escaped an abusive relationship, became a teen mother and faced barriers to earning a livable income and finding stable housing. Today, she works as the administrative assistant for Nurse-Family Partnership Northeast Region.
