2022 Q1 Pathways Quarterly Magazine

PATHWAYS
Acceleration Academies
First Quarter | 2022

Offering a flexible,
personalized path to
success in high school
and life beyond.
You can graduate.
We can help.

15 Locations in Six States
Across the U.S.
| FLORIDA
Escambia County
» North Pensacola
» Northwest Pensacola
Miami-Dade County
» Homestead
» Miami
St. Lucie County
» Port St. Lucie
» Fort Pierce
Sarasota County
» North Sarasota
» South Sarasota
| NEVADA
Clark County
» North Las Vegas
» East Las Vegas
» Southeast Las Vegas
| SOUTH CAROLINA
» North Charleston
| WASHINGTON
» Spanaway
| TEXAS
» Odessa
| KANSAS
» Wichita
...with more opening soon
in Florida and Georgia!

network by the numbers
Our Graduation Candidates come from all backgrounds and
experiences. They include learners who struggle in a traditional school
setting, need additional one-on-one support or work jobs that don’t fit with
a traditional school day. Some are young parents; new Americans learning
English; or students who faced bullying, racism or social anxiety in larger
schools. Some are managing medical conditions; others want to accelerate
their studies, graduate early and move on to college, trade school, the
military or professional sports careers. Whatever your circumstances,
Acceleration Academies is here to help you #OwnYourSuccess.
AT
15
ACADEMIES
ACROSS
THE UNITED STATES
MORE THAN
2800
GRADUATION
CANDIDATES
ENROLLED
CELEBRATING
1500+
GRADUATES
SINCE 2014

Contents
6
6
7
8
10
11
13
Using a Graduation Persistence
Index to map student success
New Ector County Director helps
learners realize their dreams
Bethel grad sets example of
determination for his children
Cooking school-bound Lowcountry
grad: “I didn’t feel lost anymore”
Miami graduation candidate rises
above his past
Clark County GC has flexibility to
succeed on his schedule
Pioneering Wichita GC: “One of the
most determined people”
14
15
16
18
22
Sarasota alum thanks
academy team for “putting
me back together”
Escambia County student
gets back on track
St. Lucie grads celebrate
their futures
LGBTQ+ Community GC
featured in Boeing video
on aerospace careers and
workplace diversity
Class Notes: News from all
academies
PATHWAYS MAGAZINE
© April 2022
EDITOR & DESIGNER
Lisa Meckley
WRITER
Jeffrey Good
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Matt Baide
Sarah Campbell
Jeffrey Good
Annie Shaw
Diana Solis
Rochelle Strack
Andrew Whittaker

A Yardstick for Student Persistence
Educators know there is more to student success than coming to class,
doing homework and taking tests. More complex factors, including the
scars of trauma and the power of resilience, impact whether a young
learner persists through challenges or falls prey to them.
What if educators could start with a reliable baseline of such insights,
using it to determine where students have solid skills and where they
need tailored support? Such a resource is in development at Acceleration
Academies. We call it the Graduation Persistence Index, or GPI.
Wendy DuCassé is Model
Fidelity Coach for Social
and Emotional Learning.
The GPI asks each student to assess their levels of engagement, learning,
and persistence. Specifically, we want to know how they feel about
their motivation and ability to connect with both academic content and
those who offer the content (engagement and learning) — as well as
their motivation to keep going when life or school becomes challenging
(persistence).
The assessment tool includes a series of statements like “I don’t quit a task
before it’s finished” and “There are people who care about what happens
to me.” Drawing on their answers and our own observations, we can better
provide the support our graduation candidates need to reach their goals
of a high school diploma and a successful journey to higher education, the
workplace and their lives as family and community leaders.
ACCELERATION ACADEMIES OF ECTOR COUNTY
Ector County Academy Director Virginia Hunt
Helps Learners Realize Their Dreams
Growing up in South Texas as the eldest daughter in a Mexican
immigrant family, Virginia Hunt learned how to work hard for her goals
— and to persevere even if success didn’t come the first time around.
“You make that commitment to do something, and you do it,” says
Virginia, a 20-year educator, mother of two and Director of the new
Acceleration Academies of Ector County in Odessa, Texas. “You don’t
stop because it didn’t work out the first time.”
“Young people have dreams and goals. They’ll be coming to us knowing
that education is important to achieve these goals — but right now,
school is only one part of their lives,” says Virginia. “That’s where we
come in, to give them a different and personalized educational option that
supports accomplishing their goals within the life that they have.”
6 Pathways | First Quarter 2022

VaShon Evans-Barnwell:
Setting an Example
BETHEL ACCELERATION ACADEMIES
For 4 years, VaShon Evans-
Barnwell showed up at high
school, making an appearance
and going through the motions
— but not much more. When it
came time to join his classmates
at graduation in 2019, he didn’t
have enough credits to graduate.
“I didn’t have the drive to finish.
I showed up, I was there, but I
didn’t do anything.”
VaShon had become the father
of a baby girl, Jaylynn, in his
junior year. After dropping out,
he got a job loading freight at a
warehouse, improving his hourly
wage from $12.50 to $15 an hour.
For a while, he thought, “I’m
good.” But then he suffered a
back injury and broke his hand.
“My body was breaking down. It
was like if I break another bone,
I’m out of work and then what am
I going to do?” He started looking
for other jobs, ones that might
allow him to use his brain instead
of just his brawn. But again and
again, he learned those doors
wouldn’t open without a high
school diploma.
“It was definitely the
lack of a diploma that
was holding me back.”
Then he learned about Bethel
Acceleration Academies,
where flexible scheduling and a
personalized path to a diploma
offered a second chance. He
decided to grab it. And while
teachers at his old school might
have allowed him to slack off, he
soon learned that the coaches at
BAA were just the opposite. “They
were pushing, man, hitting me up
every day,” he says. And when he’d
lose sight of his goal, they would
remind him. “ ‘Hey, your diploma.
Remember.’ ”
That got his attention — and he
recently celebrated the diploma he
had worked so hard to earn. He’s
making plans to build a career
in marketing, engineering or
accounting. He’s got another baby
on the way and hopes his example
of pushing through adversity to earn
his diploma will set a good example
for his children. “I’ve got to do it
for them,” he says, “make sure they
have a good role model.”
“
“I’ve got to do it for
[my kids],” he says,
“make sure they have
a good role model.”
VaSHON | Future College Student
Pathways | First Quarter 2022 7

LOWCOUNTRY ACCELERATION ACADEMY
Carolina Dominguez Lopez
‘I Didn’t Feel Lost Anymore’
On graduation day, Carolina
Dominguez Lopez was shining.
Donning a black cap and gown with her
classmates, Carolina danced around the
room, struck comical poses and threw her
head back in laughter.
Her joy stood in stark contrast to
the despair she felt less than a
year before.
At her old school on James Island, she felt
overwhelmed by the crowded hallways, toxic
social dynamic and one-size-fits-all approach
to learning. “I remember getting there on
the bus and I would start shaking,” she says.
“I just felt like I didn’t belong, that I wasn’t
supposed to be there.”
Desperate for a different path,
Carolina found her way to Lowcountry
Acceleration Academy.
There she found a calm, studious and supportive
learning community. “When I walked
into my other school, I always felt like I had
Carolina has already
been accepted into
the prestigious Le
Cordon Bleu cooking
school and she
dreams of opening a
comfortable cafe.
to watch what I was doing, what I was saying,
how I looked,” she says “The students here are
really easy to talk to. There isn’t a hostile environment
like you have in regular school, where
everyone has their little groups.”
The educators at LAA nurture a positive
environment, she says, always
making themselves available to help
learners navigate not only academic
challenges, but also emotional ones.
She had to miss a few weeks of school in the fall
due to a deep depression that left Carolina unsure
she wanted to go on. When she came back to
campus, life coach Jack Caulder, English coach
Bria Burke-Koskela and graduation candidate
advocate Janell Reyes surrounded her with care.
“I was instantly happy. I didn’t feel lost anymore.”
At graduation, she was joined by her brothers and
parents, who immigrated from Mexico more than
two decades ago to create more opportunities
for their children. “It’s a very important day for
us and for her,” her father, Alonzo, said at graduation.
“This is an opportunity. Whatever she’s
going to do, she’s going to be prepared.”
Proudly holding her diploma, Carolina
said she would not have reached
this point if she hadn’t switched
schools.
“Lowcountry Acceleration Academy is really the
reason that I’m able to be here now,” she says.
“They helped me focus on my future.”

“I was instantly
happy. I didn’t feel
lost anymore.”
CAROLINA | Aspiring Chef

ST. LUCIE ACCELERATION ACADEMIES
Maura Paredes:
Trying a New School and Finding New Hope
At her old school, Maura Paredes feared
asking for help and found herself losing
hope. After transferring to St. Lucie Acceleration
Academies, Maura found educators
like Amine Brown, who taught science
not just from a text but through field
study at a botanical garden, and Emerald
Jamison, who became her “school mom
and best friend.”
With their support, she powered through
her coursework to graduate in January.
“At a point I was like, ‘I’m going to get
my GED,’ but they talked me out of it,”
she says. “The people here care.”
MIAMI-DADE ACCELERATION ACADEMIES
Franc Owens has a lot
of ground to make up.
At 16, he committed a robbery and
spent 20 months in a juvenile center.
He emerged determined to turn his life
around — and is doing that at Miami-
Dade Acceleration Academies.
“My head’s on straight now,” he says.
Career and life coach Deborah
Ginsberg praises Franc’s commitment.
“He’s come a really, really long way in
his short time here.”
Now 20, Franc is not only excelling
at his studies but also holding down a
full-time job and being a dad. He plans
to become a police officer, and to set
an example for his baby daughter,
Faith.
“Try to learn from your mistakes,”
he will tell her. “Don’t be a follower.
Have your own mind.”
10 Pathways | First Quarter 2022
FRANC OWENS | Future Police Officer

CLARK COUNTY ACCELERATION ACADEMIES
Saalaar said that CCAA educators
— who are called coaches because
of their motivational approach —
lift him up. “All the coaches, they’re
really helpful. Any questions I have,
they answer right away.”
“
“Try to learn from your
mistakes,” he will tell
[his daughter]. “Don’t
be a follower. Have
your own mind.”
Saalaar Saeedy:
‘You Set Your Own Pace’
Saalaar Saeedy loves computers and dreams of
working for Google or Amazon. But not long ago,
that hope seemed little but a distant dream.
“I dropped out of high school,” he says. “I really
didn’t see any point.”
Saalaar has lived in Dubai, Iran and Las Vegas.
When he reached high school, he had trouble
pushing himself to engage fully in his coursework
and realize his potential. When the Covid pandemic
closed schools in 2020, his lack of motivation
turned to stagnation.
After dropping out, he got a job working at the
Target department store and began thinking about
moving up into a supervisory role. But he learned
that to do so, he would need a high school diploma
and, beyond that, a bachelor’s degree.
“Every job I want needs a bachelor’s degree,” he
says.
Saalaar found out about Clark County Acceleration
Academies, which offer a flexible, personalized path
to graduation with ample one-on-one support
for academic and personal challenges. He was
delighted to hear that he could continue working
during the day, and focus on his studies at night.
“You set your own pace,” he says. “I study better
at nighttime, and regular schools don’t operate at
nighttime.”
He was closing in on his 21st birthday, and he
realized time was short to earn a diploma rather
than settle for a GED. “When they told me the
deadline was 21 years old, that’s when I started
pushing.
Saalaar said that CCAA educators — who are called
coaches because of their motivational approach —
lift him up. “All the coaches, they’re really helpful.
Any questions I have, they answer right away.”
“Acceleration Academies pushes people to study,”
he says. “It’s very motivational.”

ST. LUCIE ACCELERATION ACADEMIES
Antony Spence:
Finding Success After the Pandemic
For Antony Spence, the Covid
pandemic couldn’t have come
at a worse time. He was already
losing ground in high school,
falling behind in his studies and
feeling socially ill at ease.
When schools closed and he
found himself cooped up at
home, his spirits sagged even
further. He dropped out. “I was
just at such a hopeless point,”
says Antony, 19. “I didn’t care
about my education. I felt bored
all the time, didn’t know what I
would do with my life. I just felt
so incomplete — and the pandemic
made me feel that even
more.”
After leaving behind a traditional
in-person high school
and an all-virtual academy,
Antony found his way to St.
Lucie Acceleration Academies.
The blend of in-person support
and a flexible, onecourse-at-a-time
online curriculum
lit a fire under his
high school journey.
“Finally, I was excited to be at
school again,” says Antony. “I
decided to come back and give
myself another chance — and
here I am about to graduate.”
He’s planning to go to college,
perhaps to study video game
design. As he wraps up his
journey at SLAA, he says he’s
grateful for the opportunity he
found there.
“Acceleration Academy’s way of
teaching was definitely helpful
for me,” he says. “My favorite
part is that you’re on your own
pace.”
“
“Acceleration Academy’s
way of teaching was
definitely helpful for
me,” he says. “My
favorite part is that
you’re on your own
pace.”
12 Pathways | First Quarter 2022
ANTONY | Future Video Game Designer

WICHITA ACCELERATION ACADEMIES
After Years of Instability,
Lamaria King Finds a Learning Home
Most high school students are lucky enough to wake
up in their own bed, eat a healthy breakfast and go to
school without having to worry about where they’ll
return to do their homework. Not Lamaria King.
Since her early teens, Lamaria
has lacked a stable
home, instead shuttling
between the homes of relatives.
Moving through
a succession of high
schools, she found it impossible
to stay focused
and productive.
She despaired that she
would have to drop out.
Then she found out about
the new Wichita Acceleration
Academies, which
works in partnership with
the public school district to provide a flexible, personalized
path to graduation.
In traditional high school, with its crowded classrooms
and busy teachers, it was hard to get the help
she needed. With the one-on-one support provided at the
academy, she says, “any time I need help, I get it.”
Lamaria, 19, missed the chance to graduate with her cohort
in 2021. But she’s hit her stride at WAA, coming in
every day after she finishes her
overnight shift loading trucks
at FedEx. “After I go to work, I
come right in here.”
Rochelle Strack, Lamaria’s
graduation candidate advocate,
says the young woman
holds herself to a high standard.
“She’s one of the most determined
people I’ve ever seen,”
she says. “No matter what she
encounters, she does not give
up.”
Any question Lamaria may
have had about persevering vanished when her daughter,
Da’maria, arrived last year. She realized she needed
to earn her diploma and lay the groundwork for a career
and the stability her baby girl needs to thrive. “Now I
need to finish school.”
Did you know...
Acceleration Academies
is a tuition-free, nationally
accredited program!
Pathways | First Quarter 2022 13

SARASOTA ACCELERATION ACADEMIES
Sarasota Grad Myra Kirce:
“They Put Me Back Together”
These days, 2020 Sarasota Acceleration Academies grad
Myra Kirce works three jobs: home health aide, brain
trauma caregiver and certified nursing assistant trainee
at a rehab center. “I’ve always known that I like to help
people.”
It wasn’t so long ago that Myra was the one needing help.
In the final stretch of her senior year at her old school,
family turmoil left her homeless and she lost hope. “I
didn’t have any place to stay. I was dirty and I just didn’t
want to go to school,” she says. “I gave up.”
MYRA KIRCE | SAA Alumnae
But then a friend told her about SAA, where a team of
educators welcomed her like family. “Once I saw how invested
they were in picking me up, it just made me want
to do better.”
Instead of long rows of desks and crowded classrooms,
the academy offered an open, airy learning space with
What is a GCA?
At Acceleration Academies, students
are called “graduation candidates” to
remind them of why they’re working so
hard. Nobody works harder to support
them than their graduation candidate
advocates (GCAs), who help and encourage
them stay on track with their
studies and overcome personal barriers
to success.
comfortable chairs. The atmosphere was relaxed but
studious.
Most important, though, was the deeply personalized
attention. Frank Cruz, the warm and wise-cracking
graduation candidate advocate (GCA) and Fred
Thomas, the towering but gentle social studies coach,
supplied academic guidance and tough love when she
needed it.
Academy Director and life coach Monetta Rustin reminded
her again and again of her worth. “She really
boosted my confidence in myself to finish.”
Recently, Myra stopped by for help in applying for the
scholarship she will use to pursue her bachelor’s degree
in nursing. While she’s long since graduated, she
says, “They’re here for the long run.”
So is she; the 21-year-old stops by to offer words of
advice for graduation candidates who might be struggling
— and words of gratitude for their coaches. “I
had given up on myself,” she says, wiping a tear from
her eyes. “They put me back together.”
14 Pathways | First Quarter 2022

ESCAMBIA COUNTY ACCELERATION ACADEMIES
Josiah Gadia gets back on track
with dreams of a future in video game and graphic design
Josiah Gadia was in his final semester of high school when the pressures of an unstable home life,
the need to hold down a job, and the challenges of schoolwork became too much to bear.
“I was really close to being finished,” Josiah says. “I just couldn’t keep everything together.”
After dropping out, Josiah went from job to job. He worked at a cocktail lounge, Circle K
convenience store, Waffle House — even a Chuck E. Cheese family pizza restaurant. “I got paid
to put on a giant Chuck E Cheese costume and dance for a bunch of little kids,” he says, shaking
his head with a rueful laugh. “I wanted to so something more. I can’t do what I want without an
education.”
When he found out about Escambia County Acceleration Academies,
Josiah saw it as “a second chance to get my education and finally get
my life back together.”
His focus wavered when he first began, but he said that educators including Academy Director
Maria Jacobs and graduation candidate advocate Cordivido Grice provided loving but firm
encouragement. Life coach Amber Fernbach also helped, by helping him sort through personal
challenges — including anxiety, depression and family issues — that sometimes get in the way.
He’s clear about his dreams. He loves to play music, having picked up a guitar at 16 and teaming
up with a friend to write songs that have more than 100,000 plays on Spotify. In addition to
building his musical career, Josiah would like to study video game and graphic design.
His grandfather retired from the U.S. Navy, which will provide a scholarship to help him through
college once he earns his diploma, he says. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but once
Acceleration Academies was introduced to me, it just clicked.”
“
“My vision for Escambia County
is that we will help build a
generation of future leaders who
will give back to their community.”
MARIA JACOBS | Director, ECAA
Pathways | First Quarter 2022 15

ST. LUCIE ACCELERATION ACADEMIES
16 Pathways | First Quarter 2022

IN JANUARY 2021, young
men and women who
had pushed through all
manner of adversity strode
across the stage and
claimed their diplomas
from St. Lucie Acceleration
Academies as family,
friends and educators
cheered them on.
“In St. Lucie, our graduation
candidates demonstrate resilience
every day by committing to their
education and their future,” says
Academy Director Paige Latham.
“Every time they engage in their
course, work with a content coach,
or review their personal learning
plan with the career/life coach, they
are overcoming all the obstacles
and challenges life has given them.
On graduation day, all that hard
work pays off and the next chapter
of their lives begins.”
Pathways | First Quarter 2022 17

Jamari Green: ‘There’s So Much
I Don’t Know About Yet’
Lowcountry Acceleration Academy student
Jamari Green plays a starring role in a new
video project launched by Discovery Education
and Boeing to encourage young learners to pursue
STEM careers in aerospace.
Jamari, who identifies as gay, appears
with a Boeing information technology specialist
to explore the potential of a career in designing
and building airplanes, satellites and lunar rovers
— and to reflect on embracing every aspect of
one’s self.
“How did coming out change you as a
person?” Jamari asks Kassie Dugan of Boeing.
Kassie responds that it freed her to be comfortable
with who she is, not only in her personal
life but also in her high-tech career.
“Because of that experience, I have a
lot of empathy for people … I know what it’s
like to be different and not fit in with the mold
of society,” she tells Jamari. “We need lots of
different perspectives to solve a lot of complex
problems.”
Jamari came out at age 14 and embraces
who he is. But for many reasons, his old high
school never felt like home. In an interview for
Pathways, Jamari said he was popular and did
his best to keep up with coursework, but the
crowded hallways, lack of personal attention
from teachers, and one-size-fits all dress code
took their toll.
18 Pathways | First Quarter 2022

LOWCOUNTRY ACCELERATION ACADEMY
“I don’t feel awkward here
at all. It’s more easy going
and non-judgmental. I feel
comfortable asking for what
I need.”
“It was like a stampede of kids; you could
While popular, Jamari said he grappled
barely move around,” says Jamari, 18. I was
with homophobia and rude behavior by his old
struggling with school and how to find my way in classmates. And he was frustrated by a school
life.”
dress code that seemed design to squash his individuality.
“The dress code was overdramatic and I
Jamari found his way to LAA, a public
charter school that offers a personalized path to
didn’t understand it at all,” he said, noting prohibitions
on certain types of shorts, crop tops, spaghet-
a diploma. “I don’t feel awkward here at all,” he
says. “It’s more easy going and non-judgmental. I ti straps and the like. “Clothes kind of define you
feel comfortable asking for what I need.”
as a person; I take a lot of care in what I wear.”
That wasn’t the case in his previous
There are no such prohibitions at Lowcountry;
graduation candidates are encouraged to
school. Like many students, he hesitated to ask
for help in class
be themselves — and
for fear that others
to help create a supportive,
studious learning
environment. “It’s a
really calm atmosphere
— a good place to sit
down with your work
and get it done.”
The flexible schedule
makes it possible
would judge him. “I
don’t want them to
think I’m dumb —
and I’m not dumb.”
English
content coach Bria
Burke-Koskela has
been especially helpful,
Jamari says. “I’m not good at writing essays,” for him to work full-time job at a restaurant, and to
but Burke-Koskela has sat with him to build his
save for his plans of moving to New York City or
skill at developing a theme and then building on Colorado. He’s exploring college and career paths
it with careful research and writing.
ranging from life coach to Boeing statistician.
Graduation candidate advocate Janell
For Jamari, the sky is — you guessed it —
Reyes has also given him a boost. “She helps get the limit. “There’s so much out there that I don’t
me going. I need a little push sometimes.”
know about yet.”
Acceleration Academies
is proud to partner with
these companies for
digital certifications,
internships and
apprenticeships
Pathways | First Quarter 2022 19

Scenes from the Academies
20 Pathways | First Quarter 2022 Students in Miami collaborate on a class lesson.

Left: Content coaches work individually
with students on their lessons.
The individualized attention helps our
graduation candidates keep on pace
with their coursework.
Below: Our web-based curriculum
gives graduation candidates the
flexibility to study on campus, at home
or any place with a wifi connection.
Above: Graduation candidates
celebrate upon the completion of
each course with a certificate and
a round of applause from the entire
academy.
Right: The tassel is worth the
hassle! Graduates celebrate with
their families when they receive
their high school diploma.
Pathways | First Quarter 2022 21

class notes
Bethel, WA
When we opened in 2014, we set an enrollment
goal of 300 graduation candidates. After
almost eight years of growth and hard work,
enrollment reached 300 in January! Since then,
the goal has been surpassed with 327 GCs,
and counting. In addition to this milestone, the
first quarter of 2022 has also brought multiple
record highs in monthly course completions,
weekly course completions, and retention
numbers. Also, BAA had the honor of hosting
a graduation in February for the most recent
batch of graduates. Their futures are bright! —
Alison Hansen, Director
Ector County, TX
Our Graduation Candidates have dreams of
supporting their family, becoming business
owners, going to college and having a career.
Even with different dreams, each of our GCs
have the same goal — to earn their high school
diploma. We commit to rally around our GCs
and empower them to grow their resilience. We
walk alongside them and let them know they
are not alone.
— Virginia Hunt, Director
Miami-Dade, FL
The MDAA team is full of rock star educators.
There is one staff member, however, who
demonstrates the passion, mindset, and skill
needed to function at high levels. Erick Velis is
a master motivator and knows how to connect
with his GCs, consistently motivating 80 percent
or more of them to engage in their online
coursework. Just as he goes above and beyond
for our GCs, he also supports his colleagues in
creating a fantastic team.
— Marcus Moore, Director
Clark County, NV
Clark County enrollment soared to 1,071 and
construction began on our third campus, located
in Southeast Las Vegas. Family, friends
and educators celebrated 37 new graduates,
who persevered through the pandemic and are
moving on to the College of Southern Nevada,
career schools, and the armed forces. We will
soon launch our first cohort of 20 students to
earn their Google and Facebook digital certifications
via a partnership with the Nevada Help
Desk. The students will then participate in an
internship and paid apprenticeships with local
businesses including MGM and the City of Las
Vegas!
— Wendy Thompson, Director
Sarasota, FL
Many of our GCs come to us lacking the credits
and testing requirements needed to earn
their Florida high school diplomas. With hard
work and dedication, they can usually earn the
credits. But the standardized tests — particularly
math and English — often present a steeper
challenge. That’s where social studies coach
Fred Thomas comes in; he adopts a mindset
of “work smarter, not harder” and equips our
students with test-taking strategies that build
on their areas of strength. As a result, we are
happy to report, we have an 81% pass rate in
Sarasota. Thank you Fred for your hard work
and dedication to our GCs and their futures.
— Monetta Rustin, Director

St. Lucie, FL
St. Lucie Acceleration Academies opened a
temporary site in Port St. Lucie in anticipation
of the 6,000 SF space that will serve as home
to our 200+ graduation candidates. While the
site is small, it is fully operational and can
accommodate the needs of GCs needing time
to work with their content coaches, take state
testing, or just find a quiet space to work.
Excitement is building about the new campus
and the comfortable and inspiring learning
environment it will provide.
— Paige Latham, Director
Wichita, KS
Wichita Acceleration Academies team members
are gearing up to make a difference in the
community. Although we welcomed our first
students on February 9th, we had already celebrated
the completion of five semester-long
courses in the first weeks of March. Cumulatively,
our graduation candidates had invested
nearly 1,000 hours toward their diplomas by
the end of March, when only weeks earlier they
may not have been in school at all. At WAA,
we remind each graduation candidate that every
moment spent moving forward is time well
spent. Every second counts.
— Chris Turner, Director
Lowcountry, SC
Every time a graduation candidate completes
a course, a staff member shouts “May I have
your attention everybody. “GC (Name) has
completed their course!” At that time, staff
members and GCs stop whatever they are doing
to clap and yell words of praise. Celebrating
our young learners is a common passion of
the entire LAA learning community. We know
that many of them first walked through our
doors feeling defeated, and we want to emphasize
that they are moving up toward their fullest
potential. Holding our first-ever graduation
ceremony in front of GCs in February helped
reinforce that message of hope.
— Dr. Jacinta Bryant, Director
Escambia County, FL
Since we opened last fall to 170 graduation
candidates, our team has demonstrated kindness
and generosity through genuine acts of
service. During the holiday season, we invited
our young learners to share a staff-cooked
holiday meal in our “Come Sit With Us” Campaign.
Several GCs complimented the food,
thanked our team, asked for recipes, and took
pictures to share with their families. Graduation
candidate advocates also shopped, wrapped,
and delivered gifts to GCs who have children.
With spring in the air, we are celebrating our
first graduate and looking ahead to many more.
— Maria Jacobs, Director
class notes

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