2022 Q2 Pathways Quarterly Magazine

Ja’Kerien Sutton: ‘I Just Let My Faith
Be Bigger Than My Fear’
During the first semester of his senior year at a
traditional high school, Ja’Kerien Sutton was on
track to graduate with his class.
But then an altercation with another student
turned ugly and — just like that — Ja’Kerien’s
dreams of graduating, going to college and
playing football in front of cheering crowds
disappeared.
“That one decision changed my high school
experience,” says the 18-year-old.
Unable to return to his old school, he began
looking into alternatives.
Wanting to earn a real diploma, he found his
way to St. Lucie Acceleration Academies, which
works in partnership with St. Lucie Public
Schools to provide a personalized path for
students who have struggled in other settings.
“Once they told me I could graduate on time, I
said, ‘I’m in.’ ”
Recently, he reached his goal, striding across
the stage to collect the diploma he had worked
hard to earn. And he couldn’t be more grateful to
the academy educators who helped him get his
studies — and his life — back on track.
From the day he walked in and saw a learning
18 Pathways Magazine | Summer 2022