2022 Q2 Pathways Quarterly Magazine

CLARK COUNTY ACCELERATION ACADEMIES
Kimberly Morris: Looking Forward to the Open Road Ahead
Kimberly Morris says there was
never really any question about
her sexual identity. “I never
liked boys — always knew.”
In public, some people
misgender her, she says. ”I’m a
girl that comes off masculine
and I get misgendered as a
male.”
But at Clark County
Acceleration Academies,
educators and fellow
graduation candidates know
her for her full self and make
her feel fully supported.
“All the coaches are so helpful,”
she says. “The help that
Acceleration Academies gives
is one-on-one.”
Kimberly, 18, says the
program’s flexible scheduling
is crucial.
She works at the airport
helping disabled people get
around the terminal. With a
50-hour work week, she needs
the ability to do her coursework
during her off-hours. “I can log
in when I have some free time.”
When she can’t make it to
campus, she said social studies
content coach Alana Milich
is always willing to hop on a
video call and help her master
complicated concepts.
“That was really helpful
because I couldn’t make it
[in to the academy] due to
my work,” she says. “At most
schools you don’t get that kind
of help.”
After graduation, Kimberly
plans to earn her commercial
driver license and become an
interstate trucker. She loves
the feel of being at the wheel
of a powerful rig, and the
freedom offered by the open
road. She knows her road will
be smoother with a diploma in
hand.
“A high school diploma is one
of the main things you need to
have a good-paying job.”
Miami Grad Rufus Wallace: ‘They Kept Me Going’
MIAMI-DADE ACCELERATION ACADEMIES
When Rufus Wallace was at a traditional public school,
he struggled to maintain focus. And with so many other
students, it was hard for his teachers to provide the kind
of one-on-one help he craved.
Transferring to Miami-Dade Acceleration Academies, he
found just that. “All the teachers, they saw something in
me that I didn’t see in myself,” says Rufus, who recently
graduated and is planning on enrolling in trade school.
“They were the gasoline to my car. They kept me going.”
Particularly helpful was graduation candidate advocate
Nadi Sambrana, who urged him back on track when he
lost momentum.
Sometimes, he acknowledges, the love had to get tough.
“Even at times when I was ready to give up, she said,
‘Don’t worry, I’m always going to be here to support
you,” he says. “She was like a parent. She was on me.”
Rufus Wallace & Nadi Sambrana
Pathways Magazine | Summer 2022 15