Acceleration Academies 2023 Winter Pathways Magazine

PATHWAYS
magazine
Winter | 2023

18
Locations in Seven States
Across the U.S.
| FLORIDA
» Escambia County
• Pensacola
» Lee County
• Fort Myers
» Marion County
• Ocala
» Miami-Dade County
• Homestead
• Miami
» St. Lucie County
• Port St. Lucie
• Fort Pierce
» Sarasota County
• North Port
• Sarasota
| GEORGIA
» Gwinnett County
• Duluth
| KANSAS
» Wichita
| NEVADA
» Clark County
• North Las Vegas
• East Las Vegas
• Southeast Las Vegas
| SOUTH CAROLINA
» North Charleston Area
» Myrtle Beach Area
| TEXAS
» Ector County
• Odessa
| WASHINGTON
» Bethel School District
• Spanaway

Offering a flexible,
personalized path
to success in high
school and life
beyond.

network by the numbers
Our students (who we call 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. #AccelerateYourSuccess
AT
18
ACADEMIES
ACROSS
THE UNITED STATES
MORE THAN
5,000
GRADUATION
CANDIDATES
CURRENTLY
ENROLLED
CELEBRATING
2,861+
GRADUATES
SINCE 2014

Contents
6
8
9
10
Working Together: Acceleration
Academies and district partners
help students find success
GCAA director knows students’
challenges first-hand
EAA teen finds a way to care for her
brother and herself
CCAA student pushes through
physical therapy while focusing on
education
16
17
18
20
MDAA advocate takes time
to listen to his students
GCAA celebrates first-ever
class of grads
CSAA student finds an
excitement for learning
WAA grad thanks teachers
and counselors for encouraging
her to do her best
PATHWAYS MAGAZINE
© December 2023
EDITOR & DESIGNER
Lisa Meckley
WRITER
Jeffrey Good
12
13
14
16
LCAA celebrates first group of
graduates
SAA grad appreciates the support
of his content coaches and GC
advocates
LAA alumnus finds success as a
pastry chef
MCAA student finds the quiet he
needs to succeed
21
22
24
26
EAA & BAA grads celebrate
their success
MDAA students get ready
for their next step after
graduation
Scenes from the academies
Class Notes: News from all
academies
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Steve Aicinena
Charles Anderson
Abby Ballin
Sarah Campbell
Jeffrey Good
Patrick Gray
Travis Heying
Lisa Meckley
Laura Muehl
Grace Nixon
Drew Perine
Janell Reyes
Martha Asencio Rhine
Andrew Whitaker

For our district partners,
the choice and opportunity
that Acceleration Academies
provides students in their
communities is a win for all.
When he was 14, Fedson Delcis got in serious trouble
and ended up behind bars. While his peers enjoyed
high school life — classes, homework, sports and
socializing — Fedson spent the next four years
trying to keep his head above water in the harsh
environment of jail.
Recently, at 18, Fedson marked a major turning point
in his life as he joined other members of the St. Lucie
Acceleration Academies Class of 2023 to celebrate his
high school diploma.
“People really opened my eyes,” Fedson says. “They
wanted me to be on the right path, not go back to
what I used to do. They wanted to see the best in me.”
Inspiring Support
Fedson found an inspiring supporter in Dr. Sunny
Booker, Director of Alternative Education for St. Lucie
Public Schools. The first stop Fedson made after
emerging from jail was to see Dr. Booker — and she
urged him to enroll at SLAA.
“Not only did Fedson get his diploma, but
he graduated a year early,” she said, smiling
warmly at her protegé. “I know what this
student can do. I know what he has in
him. He hasn’t had a lot of breaks. For him,
Acceleration Academies was a big break.”
Finding their Fit
For most students at SLAA, traditional high school
had not been a good fit. The reasons included a need
to work to support themselves and their families, teen
parenthood, homelessness and the need for more
personalized support — all hurdles SLAA helps them
overcome with flexible scheduling, a personalized
curriculum and ample one-on-one academic and
personal coaching.
6 Pathways Magazine | Winter 2023

ST. LUCIE ACCELERATION ACADEMIES
Making Up Lost Ground
In Fedson’s case, there was also the ground he
lost due to the bad choices he made years ago.
While still in junior high, Fedson and a friend got
involved in a fight with other youths that turned
violent. Shots were fired. While nobody was hurt,
he ended up incarcerated.
In jail, Fedson worked hard in a program designed
by Dr. Booker but wasn’t able to complete his
education. But when he emerged in December
2022, Dr. Booker urged him to earn a real high
school diploma at SLAA. He enrolled with a
serious credit deficit, but arrived early each day
and showed educators that he was serious about
learning.
Help within Reach
“The drive in Fedson is just phenomenal,” says ESE
coach Dave Caso. “You give him your all because
he wanted it so badly.”
Like many graduation candidates, Fedson found
math to be a challenge. But in a course focused
on practical math skills — building a budget,
managing expenses and learning about the stock
market — taught by math coach Carson Senger,
he hit his stride.
“You can come in here and do the bare minimum
but he went above and beyond that,” Senger says
of Fedson. “There wasn’t a single day that went by
without him making progress.”
Fedson is good with his hands, and he
plans to study to become a plumber. For
the first time in years, he sees a future
filled with freedom and promise.
Dr. Sunny Booker, Director of
Alternative Education for
St. Lucie Public Schools
with Fedson Delcis, St. Lucie
Acceleration Academies Graduate
Acceleration Academies played a big role in that,
he says, by making him and other learners feel
welcome regardless of the history they brought
through the door.
Defying the odds
“Coming to a place that’s nurturing, that’s safe,
where everybody’s on his side, it’s been perfect,”
Dr. Booker says. “He defied the odds.”
Pathways Magazine | Winter 2023 7

GWINNETT COUNTY ACCELERATION ACADEMIES
“Why not be the
best possible
you?”
- Hashima Carothers, GCAA
Director
When many young learners arrive
at Gwinnett County Acceleration
Academies (GCAA), they find a
school leader who knows their
challenges first-hand.
GCAA Director Hashima Carothers
grew up without much money,
but benefited from family
members, educators and coaches
who helped her nurture her
potential. Now Carothers is paying
it forward.
“I look a lot like our students — a
woman of color, young, a walking
role model,” she says. “They say,
‘Miss, you’re like us. How did you
get this job?’ I tell them, a lot of
hard work.”
A strong student and standout
basketball player, Carothers
studied and played ball at the
University of San Francisco,
earned her master’s degree at the
University of Nevada, Las Vegas,
and decided to build a career as
an educator.
8 Pathways Magazine | Winter 2023
Carothers loves helping
young people overcome
the obstacles that threaten
to make them high school
dropouts instead of
graduates. Poverty, teen
parenthood, academic
difficulties, legal trouble and
a lack of positive adult role
models — all are challenges
that test their determination.
“I try not to let what brought
them here define who they
are,” says Carothers. “Why
not be the best possible
you?”
For instance, one GCAA
learner is not only an oldest
child who helps her mother
around the house but also a
young mom who needs to
hold down a job and wants
to earn her diploma. At first,
she seemed overwhelmed,
but after finding that she
could bring her baby to
campus when needed and
get ample personalized
support, she’s begun to
thrive.
“I think she’ll go far,” says
Carothers. “She didn’t have
that support at home. She
relies on us heavily.”
Carothers is the first to tell you
that she doesn’t work alone.
Calling herself a “leader of
collaboration,” she regularly
turns to the teachers and
mentors working with her for
ways to even better serve their
graduation candidates.
Recently, for instance,
graduation candidate
advocate Jamaal Hickman
suggested a way to mobilize
the GCAA team to reach out
to learners who had fallen
off pace — and the academy
set a new record for the
percentage of graduation
candidates engaging in their
coursework.
“It’s great having people
that understand the work,
appreciate the work and are
willing to do the work,” she
says. “They do the work day in
and day out and I couldn’t be
more thankful.”

Zamaria Farris:
Finding a Way to Care for Her Brother and Herself
ECTOR COUNTY ACCELERATION ACADEMIES
For Zamaria Farris, there were so
many reasons to leave her traditional
high school behind: sweaty
hallways, teachers who lacked the
time to help her, a social life that led
her to the shopping mall rather than
study hall.
But the most important reason has a
name: Donovan.
“I love him so much,” she says,
holding up her phone and showing
a photo of her 27-year-old brother,
who is developmentally disabled and
needs constant care.
Zamaria’s mother has to work two
jobs — running a nursing home
kitchen by day and logging hours
at Amazon by night — to pay the
rent and put food on the table. As
a teenager, Zamaria has stepped up
to help care for her brother many
hours a day — a responsibility she is
happy to shoulder but has a schedule
that doesn’t fit within a traditional
school day.
“
Regarding the
encouragement from
her GCA: “She pushes
me, in a good way.”
-Zamaria,
Future Cosmetologist
At Ector County Acceleration
Academies (EAA), the personalized
approach and flexible schedule
means she is able to spend a chunk
of time on campus and then go home
to help feed, bathe, clothe and laugh
with her big brother.
She couldn’t be more grateful. “He’s
my little baby, even though he’s
grown.”
EAA meets her needs as well.
At her old school, she frequently
felt overwhelmed by the crowded
hallways and classrooms, and she
said teachers just didn’t seem to
have the time. “They weren’t really
helping me out with anything, so I
just stopped going.”
For a time, she despaired
that she might never
return to high school,
she says. “My heart
was busting.” But then
she found out about EAA,
which works in partnership with
the Ector County Independent
School District to provide a
non-traditional path to learners
who’ve been frustrated in other
settings. She loves the calm,
studious environment, cafestyle
seating and — especially
— the encouragement provided
by educators like graduation
candidate advocate Megan Whitty.
“When I’m sitting with my
group for too long, she’ll come
and get me, say, ‘Come one, let’s
go do your test,’ ” says Zamaria,
who dreams of becoming a
cosmetologist. “She pushes me, in
a good way.”
Pathways Magazine | Winter 2023 9

CCAA: Jayden Mixon:
After Gunshot, CCAA
‘Offered Me a Second
Chance at Life’
When Jayden Mixon came to Clark County Acceleration Academies during
his senior year, he thought he had pushed through some serious challenges:
schools closing due to Covid, a distracting social life, finding a school where
he could get serious about his studies.
Then came the gunshot.
On Aug. 11, 2022, Jayden was heading home
from school when a man pulled up beside his
friend and threatened him with a gun. Jayden
intervened, trying to calm the angry man. He
pleaded, “You’re better than this.”
The next thing Jayden knew, he was emerging
from a coma in the hospital, his body laced with
tubes and a .45 caliber bullet lodged in his skull.
“At that point, I didn’t know who I was,” Jayden
recalls. “It felt like a thousand knives stabbing
and burning.”
Before the violence that day, Jayden had
made a commitment to turn around his high
school career — and his life. After moving from
California to Las Vegas, he found himself falling
under the spell of the city’s bright lights and
fast crowds. While he had always been a serious
student, he allowed himself to drift off course.
“I was slacking on my education,” he
acknowledges. He realized, “I have to take
accountability for myself. I’m putting fun over
doing something with my life.”
He found out about Clark County
Acceleration Academies (CCAA), which
works in partnership with Supt. Dr. Jesus
Jara and the public school district to offer
young learners a personalized path to
graduation. Jayden loved the comfortable,
cafe-style atmosphere, the one-on-one
coaching and — most of all — being among
other graduation candidates who share his
renewed sense of purpose.
“I was like, ‘Here I can get something
done,’“ says Jayden, who had dreams of
earning his diploma and joining the U.S.
Air Force.
When his motivation flagged, he knew that
CCAA educators — especially graduation
candidate advocate Kiaira Taylor — would
be there to urge him back on course. “They
tell you, ‘This is on you. How badly do you
want it?’ That I respected,” he says. “With
that amount of freedom, it gave me the
power to decide what I wanted. Did I want
to be a graduate or a flunkie?”
10 Pathways Magazine | Winter 2023

CLARK COUNTY ACCELERATION ACADEMIES
“They tell you, ‘This is on
you. How badly do you
want it?’ ”
“That I respected,” he
says. “With that amount
of freedom, it gave me
the power to decide what
I wanted. Did I want to be
a graduate or a flunkie?”
- Jayden
“
Hear more from
Jayden as he
talks about his
‘second chance’
To Jayden, the answer was clear: Graduate. “I
stayed at it. I was very disciplined.”
welcomed him with hugs and warm words.
In the words of CCAA Director Wendy
Thompson, “It’s nothing short of a miracle.”
The shooting threatened to derail all that. In
the hospital, Jayden’s condition was touch and
go. He “coded” and had to be revived, lost many
of his motor functions — including the ability
to walk — and was confined to a bed for several
months. “I can’t count the number of times I
almost gave up.”
But even during those low moments, he could
look up and see his little sister, his stepmother
and his father, his rock, at his side. “Big shoutout
to my Pop.” And he would hear regularly
from Ms. Kiaira, telling him the team at CCAA
was eager to welcome him back when he was
ready.
One morning this fall, a van pulled up to the
North Campus and dropped Jayden off for
his first day back. Taylor and other educators
Jayden, now 20, has a year’s worth of classes
to finish. It’s a long road, but he knows he’s
got plenty of support. And just as he is
dedicating himself to the physical therapy
he needs to get back his mobility, he is rededicating
himself to his studies. While his
injury has put the Air Force out of reach, he’d
like to go to college and build a career in real
estate.
“I refuse to be a victim. I refuse,” he says,
laboring to push himself to his feet, however
briefly, from his wheelchair. “I’m a survivor, a
fighter.”
Jayden couldn’t be more grateful that Taylor,
Thompson and other educators at CCAA are
fighting for him, too. “This school offered
me a second chance at life.”
Pathways Magazine | Winter 2023 11

LEE COUNTY ACCELERATION ACADEMIES
LCAA Celebrates First
Group of Graduates
Lee County Acceleration Academies
(LCAA) celebrated its first group of
graduates recently. These young men
and women who might have otherwise
given up on high school received the
diplomas they had worked hard to earn.
“Each graduate has a unique story, but the
commonality they share is that they have
persevered through the obstacles
that caused them to take a
different path than most to obtain
their high school diploma,” said
LCAA Director Shelley Markgraf.
Each had their own story of
perseverance. Take, for instance,
Kaiden Ruiz. Kaiden had dropped
out of school for the better part of a
year, had numerous failing grades
on his transcript and needed to
complete 19 courses and pass
state testing to earn his diploma.
Less than six months later, Kaiden
became the first LCAA graduation candidate
to earn a diploma since the school opened in
January.
“He came in faithfully and he was finishing a
course every 3-5 days — he started to feel the
“
“All five GCs knew the
value of a high school
diploma and were
determined to achieve
their goal of crossing
the finish line.”
- Shelley Markgraf,
LCAA Director
Kaiden Ruiz
success and he just rode that wave of success,”
said Markgraf. He had such a great mindset
of ‘This is my job. This is what I’m going to
accomplish.’ ”
Math coach Jeff Aquillo was a great
ally, breaking down complex topics into
manageable pieces and working with Kaiden
to prepare for the state testing
required for a Florida diploma.
“Does that mean I can graduate?”
Kaiden asked after passing on
the second try. The answer was a
resounding “yes!”
With diploma in hand, Kaiden is
planning to earn his commercial
driver’s license and work toward
owning his own trucking
business, along with exploring
the possibilities of real estate
investment. Thanks to his own
grit and the support he received
at LCAA, he says, the road to success is clear.
“The advice I give to other people is that if I
can do it, then they can do it,” Kaiden says. “If
their goal is to get their diploma, then do not
give up — fulfill that goal no matter what.”
12 Pathways Magazine | Winter 2023

SARASOTA ACCELERATION ACADEMIES
Sarasota Grad Nathan Ricca:
“It was way different”
For Nathan Ricca, the road to finding the right high
school was long and winding. He began in a traditional
high school but felt overwhelmed by the crowded
hallways and packed classrooms. He tried military school
but didn’t thrive in the regimented learning environment.
Nathan is an independent sort, the kind of student
who learns best when allowed
to navigate by his own lights.
“All of the teachers were helpful,” says Nathan.
“They always answered clearly in a way that was easy
to understand.”
Particularly helpful was Khaliah Augustin, the softspoken
math coach who takes pride in breaking down
complex problems into understandable parts and helping
graduation candidates confidence
through growing competence. His
He found that opportunity
English coach also helped him
at Sarasota Acceleration
talk through concepts to build his
Academies (SAA).
“I prefer self-learning way
more than having someone
teach me,” he says.
At SAA, he was able to settle
into one of the cafe-style chairs,
focus on one course at a time
Nathan Ricca and Mom
written skills.
“Since I’m not very social, I
struggle with conversation,” he
says. “Talking with her about
essays helped me use the right
words for the right situation.”
With support from the SAA
and not have to deal with any distractions. “The concept
of going there, sitting down to do my work and then
leaving really appealed to me.”
Sometimes, he would encounter an academic challenge
that called for some coaching. All he had to do was ask.
team and by virtue of his own hard work, Nathan was
able to graduate early and move on to study information
technology at Suncoast Technical College. He’s grateful
that the final stop on his high school journey was SAA. “It
was very open and warm-hearted. It was way different.”
Did you know...
We call our students
“Graduation Candidates”
(GCs) to remind them
every day of the reason
they are working so hard.
Our proprietary Graduation
Persistence Index allows us to
assess non-academic factors
known to impact student
success, providing an important
guide for customizing each
student’s learning plan.
Upon entry into our
program, GCs meet with
their Career/Life Coach so
they can begin mapping
out their future career
and education plan.
Pathways Magazine | Winter 2023 13

LOWCOUNTRY ACCELERATION ACADEMY
Alumnus Carolina Lopez:
LAA Was Her Key Ingredient to Success
Just two short years ago, Lowcountry Acceleration
Academy alumna Carolina Dominguez Lopez
wasn’t sure she’d ever finish high school. Mired
in depression, overwhelmed by the crowded
classrooms and harsh social dynamic of her old
high school, she felt little but despair.
These days, her outlook couldn’t be
sunnier. With a diploma in hand
and her creative energy ablaze,
Carolina was recently named
Executive Pastry Chef at a wellknown
restaurant in downtown
Charleston, SC.
A key ingredient in her success, Carolina says, is
Lowcountry Acceleration Academy (LAA). “Before
LAA, I had been in a bad place in life for a couple of
years. I was dropping out of school,” says Carolina,
who recently turned 19. “To be able to go into LAA
and talk to my teachers like they were my friends,
like they really cared about me, that made all the
difference.”
After she graduated, she focused on
developing her skills and passion as
a pastry chef. She applied for and
got a line cook position at Miller’s
“The teachers at LAA, they care,
they remember their students,”
says the young chef. “Even after
I left there, I had somebody who
cares about me.”
All Day, a popular breakfast, lunch and
baked goods spot on King Street in
Charleston’s French Quarter.
Her colleagues helped her refine her techniques and
learn new ones. And when a position as pastry chef
came open, she made a successful bid for it.
One of Miller’s most popular offerings is their sinful
array of cookies — including brown butter chocolate
chip, white chocolate macadamia nut and the aptly
named (and gluten-free) “Monster.” The cookies are
Carolina’s creation. “Here in the kitchen, I get a lot of
creative liberty,” she says. “This job is like being in
culinary school, only hands-on.”
The daughter of Mexican immigrants
who came to the United States in
search of better opportunities for
themselves and their children, Carolina
said her time at LAA helped her regain
confidence in herself and find her way
into her new career.
And not just one career. In the future, she plans to enroll
in college and eventually lead a kindergarten classroom.
While life outside of school was sometimes rough, she
says, “My teachers would greet me. They would hug
me. They would make my day. That’s what I want to be
for kids.”
She has some good role models. Her former graduation
candidate advocate Janell Reyes, for instance, checks
in on Carolina periodically to see how she’s doing in
this new chapter of life. “Even after I left there, I had
somebody who cares about me, ” says the young chef.

“
“To be able to go
into LAA and talk
to my teachers
like they were my
friends, like they
really cared about
me, that made all
the difference.”
CAROLINA | Executive Pastry Chef

MIAMI-DADE ACCELERATION ACADEMIES
MDAA Graduation Candidate
Advocate Erick Velis:
‘You have to explore the genius inside of you’
If graduation candidates at Miami-Dade Acceleration
Academies (MDAA) are looking for a role model in developing
a wide range of life skills, they need look no further
than Erick Velis.
MARION COUNTY ACCELERATION ACADEMIES
MCAA: Bryce Dittman
Finding the Quiet He Needs
to Succeed
The Cuban-born graduation candidate advocate (GCA)
is humble, congenial and soft-spoken. But scratch the
surface, and a wealth of talents emerges: Erick is an
accomplished guitarist, recently earned a master’s degree
in biostatistics and is often cited by learners as an educator
who has helped change their lives for the best.
For Bryce Dittman, traditional high school
with its bustling classrooms proved an
exercise in distraction. “It was a draining
environment. I couldn’t really learn.”
Then he learned about Marion County Acceleration
Academies, where the soft-spoken
teenager can settle into a comfortable
chair in the café-style learning space and get
right down to work.
“I needed something different. My mom
told me about this place and how it’s less
stressful. I can do my work at my own pace,
and the teachers help me out,” says Bryce.
Whenever he hits a rough patch in his
studies, all he has to do is look up and a
member of the MCAA team will help him
out. Best of all, there’s quiet.
“For me, it’s really the people factor. I
have less distraction,” explains Bryce, who
hopes eventually to go into commercial real
estate. “I can just sit here and do my work.
Nobody’s bothering me.”
16 Pathways Magazine | Winter 2023
“There is a genius growing inside of us, inside of me, inside
of you, inside of everyone,” Erick says. “I tell the GCs
you have to explore the genius that is growing inside of
you.”
For a time, Erick taught math at a Miami Beach middle
school, but he longed for the opportunity to spend more
time one-on-one with his students — to get to know them
on a human level, not just an academic one.
He found that opportunity at MDAA. “In Acceleration
Academies, I have the opportunity to sit down with a GC
to actually help them with their life, to listen to them,”
he says. At his old school, “I rarely had the opportunity
to listen.”
Many students arrive at MDAA from traditional schools
feeling like people didn’t have the time to listen. Here, they
find a quiet, studious and safe atmosphere.
“This place brings peace to our GCs. When we lower the
stress level, learning goes up,” he says. “I think this place
is magical.”

GCAA Celebrates First-Ever Class of Grads
“What I am today is all because of the wonderful teachers
and people I met here.” - Dawson Lewis
Gwinnett County Acceleration Academies (GCAA)
celebrated their first-ever class of graduates in July with
a commencement ceremony featuring inspiring words,
joyful shouts and the pride felt by a group of young
people who had worked hard to achieve their dream of a
diploma.
“These young men and women have worked so
hard and overcome so many obstacles to reach this
moment,” said GCAA Director Hashima Carothers. “To
see the smiles on their faces and their families’ faces just
reiterates that the work we are doing here is not only
good work, but the right work.”
The grads included Dawson Lewis (center photo
below), who came to GCAA after struggling in
traditional schools due to the Covid pandemic. “I
came to the orientation and met with the coaches. I really
liked what I heard — and, most importantly, I felt seen,”
Dawson said. “Instead of sitting at desks, I was able to
grab a comfortable chair to do my work with a flexible
schedule that allowed me to work (at my job) and still get
my schoolwork done.”
“This made me feel responsible,” he said. “It made me
feel like I was accomplishing something.”
Dawson is training to become an emergency medical
technician and firefighter, along with building the computer
coding business he runs on the side. Before embarking on
their futures, he and other grads took the time to thank
the educators and family members who had supported
them at every step. “What I am today is all because of the
wonderful teachers and people I met here.”
Pathways Magazine | Winter 2023 17

CSAA’s Bryanna Olalde:
‘An Excitement That I Haven’t Felt in a Long Time’
Bryanna Olalde’s mom came to South
Carolina to give her children a shot at a better
life than they might have had in Tijuana, Mexico.
The key to that life, she firmly believes, is
education.
For most of high school, Bryanna seemed
to be on track to fulfill her mother’s hopes. She
made honor roll, took advanced classes, got
active in the International Thespians Society
and National Spanish Honors Society, became
an ally for a new group supporting LGBTQ
students and seemed on track to graduate early
and move on to college.
But then, midway through what should have
been her final year, mental health struggles set
in and she felt adrift. “Then I got a job and that
made it even worse. I saw the money coming in
and I lost motivation for school. I decided to just
work and drop out.”
Her mother was disappointed, and she
was not alone. Bryanna’s older brother, Jesus,
had dropped out of school years before and
regretted it. He urged his sister not to make the
same mistake.
“He knows I’m smart and he didn’t want me
to throw my future away,” she says.
Nor did she. She tried home-schooling, but
that didn’t work. Then she heard about a new
public charter high school that would allow
her to pursue a personalized course of study
in a quiet, supportive environment — Carolina
Shores Acceleration Academy (CSAA).
18 Pathways Magazine | Winter 2023

CAROLINA SHORES ACCELERATION ACADEMY
Driving from her home in Conway to the
academy site in N. Myrtle Beach for orientation,
she felt her anxiety grow. But as soon as she
walked into the building — with its open learning
space, comfortable seating and cafe in the
middle, she felt the tension melt away.
“It’s homey,” she says. “Usually when I walk
into a school, I feel so much anxiety. I walked in
here and everything was fine. There was nothing
to be anxious about.”
She was greeted by a teacher from her old
school, Becky
Tighe, who is
social studies
content coach
at the new
academy. And
as she got to
know Academy
Director
Deirdra Brasch
and her team
“It’s homey,” she says. “Usually
when I walk into a school, I
feel so much anxiety. I walked
in here and everything was
fine. There was nothing to be
anxious about.”
Taking one course at a time, Bryanna and
her classmates — who are called “graduation
candidates” to remind them of their goals — are
able to focus in rather than having to juggle
multiple subjects. And because she is able to
make her own schedule, she’s been able to keep
her job as a server at a Friendly’s restaurant while
also pursuing her diploma.
As much as she enjoys making money serving
food in a touristy part of South Carolina, she
knows that horizon is limited.
“If I don’t have an
education, then what’s
that money going to do
for me in the future?” she
says. “I thought, I really
should make a change
before it’s too late.”
Once she earns
her diploma, she plans
to go on to college, get
involved in theater and
of educators and mentors, she found nothing build a career as an ultrasound technician. She’s
but warmth and welcome.
grateful for the opportunity to re-engage in high
“Everyone here is nice. Everyone is always
school at CSAA.
checking on us,” she says. “They want you to
“It’s an excitement that I haven’t felt in a long
ask questions. They want you to feel free to ask time,” she declares. “I’m finally going to get my
anything.”
life together!”
Did you know...
Acceleration Academies
is a tuition-free, nationally
accredited program!
Pathways Magazine | Winter 2023 19

WICHITA ACCELERATION ACADEMIES
WAA Grad Bethany Leggio:
“This is Just the Start”
Bethany Leggio looked out at her fellow members
of the Wichita Acceleration Academies (WAA) Class
of 2023, at the family members and friends who had
supported them on an often-arduous journey, at the
educators who had never let them give up.
“
“I’m here to show
everybody that no
matter what you go
through, you can
succeed,” Bethany
said. “You don’t have
to be a statistic, you
don’t have to settle for
less. You can do what
you want to do.”
- Bethany L.
“I’m here to show everybody that no matter what
you go through, you can succeed,” Bethany said. “You
don’t have to be a statistic, you don’t have to settle for
less. You can do what you want to do.”
Bethany’s words rang throughout the room and into
the hearts of all those assembled there. This day, their
achievement, had been a long time coming.
“Accomplishments like this are an accumulation
of many smaller successes — a series of choices over
many years — that led you here,” encouraged Chris
Turner, Director of WAA. There were days when it may
have felt like the world didn’t want to see you succeed,
but you did anyway. It took tremendous courage and
confidence to get where you are now. And in doing so –
every one of you is an inspiration to us,” he said.
The commencement celebrated the achievement of
19 graduates, many of whom might once have thought
a diploma out of reach. Bethany spoke for many in
describing the challenges she faced, and the way caring
educators and family members had helped them push
through.
“You know, I’ve thought about this day since my first
day of high school,” she said. “Freshman year it was
just a maybe; sophomore year after my brother passed, it
became a yes. I’m going to do this for my brother.”
“Nobody was expecting me to graduate until I came
to Acceleration Academies,” she continued. “It was a
surprise that I made it through middle school, let alone
could anyone have guessed that I’d be walking this stage
a year early. I didn’t have my mom or dad helping me
with my homework; my only luxury was the support
system I had at school.”
“Supportive teachers and counselors set on seeing
me succeed, and family and friends that pushed me to do
my best” she said. She gazed with appreciation at those
who had stood by her through the many hard times,
saying they “are the people I’ve been trying to make
damn proud my whole life — and this is just the start.”
20 Pathways Magazine | Winter 2023

ESCAMBIA COUNTY ACCELERATION ACADEMIES
BETHEL ACCELERATION ACADEMIES
ECAA’s Kennede Thomas:
“I’m Proud of Myself That I’m
Graduating on Time”
Kennede Thomas remembers with pride earning
a place in honors geometry at her old high school.
But when the Covid pandemic shuttered schools
during her freshman year, everything changed.
Taking classes remotely over a computer didn’t
work for her. “I just couldn’t learn because I
didn’t have anyone who was actually teaching
me.”
By the time in-person schooling resumed, she
had fallen behind. “I was like, ‘Okay, you should
drop out and get a GED.’ ”
But then she heard about Escambia County
Acceleration Academies (ECAA). It proved exactly
the right fit and recently, she earned her high
school diploma. “I’m proud of myself that I’m
graduating on time, graduating with my peers.”
Kennede loved being able to take one class
at a time and use learning aids to break down
complex topics into manageable chunks.
Most of all, she appreciated the constant
encouragement provided by ECAA staff. “Here,
you know that they want you to graduate and
they’re always making sure you’re on top of
your game.”
BAA’s Austin Bernardo:
“I Finally Did It”
Austin Bernardo didn’t want to settle for his
GED. So when the skies opened on his walk to
Bethel Acceleration Academies, he would just
keep on walking. “Even though it was raining, I
would still go,” Austin says. Why? “My diploma.
I just wanted to get my diploma.”
His determination paid off recently when
Austin graduated. “I finally did it!” Austin
declared, celebrating his achievement with
his mother, father, brother, girlfriend, son and
other family members cheering him on.
Austin came to BAA in early 2021 after his
family moved from their native Guam in
search of wider opportunities. Austin had
fallen behind in his studies and wondered
if he would be able to make up the lost
ground.
Austin works as a casino security guard and is
making plans for college, perhaps including
a career as a pediatrician. He hopes his hard
work will not only open up possibilities for
himself, but also provide inspiration for his
son. “If I can put my mind to it, I know that he
will be able to do it,” Austin says.
Pathways Magazine | Winter 2023 21

MIAMI-DADE ACCELERATION ACADEMIES
MDAA’s Newly Minted Miami Grads: ‘They Believed in Me’
The newest class of graduates from Miami-Dade Acceleration
Academies (MDAA) celebrated a wide range of
learners. Take for instance, grads
Joanna Duany and Yanko Ariosa.
Joanna Duany came to MDAA
from an arts magnet school and,
later, a traditional high school. Always
a strong student, Joanna had
felt at home among like-minded
peers at the arts magnet. But when
a family move forced her to transfer
to a traditional school, she felt
anxious and adrift.
Where, she wondered, were the
other serious-minded students?
Where was the calm learning environment?
The caring teachers?
She found them at MDAA, where an individualized
curriculum and ample one-on-one support help motivated
graduation candidates to soar.
“I’m a straight-A student. I will always be the one sitting
in front, raising my hand first,” Joanna says, not
boasting but simply stating the
facts. “At Acceleration, I saw
that there are other people who
want to do something with their
life. That’s what I want to be a
part of.”
Joanna says she loved the quiet,
coffee shop atmosphere at
MDAA, and the fact that educators
there — particularly
graduation candidate advocate
Florette Smith — stood ready to
encourage her when she would
lose momentum.
“Acceleration Academies taught
me a lot about how to be accountable, how to hold myself
to a standard,” said Joanna, who’s been accepted
into the New World School of the Arts at Miami Dade
College and plans to build a career as an artist.
22 Pathways Magazine | Winter 2023

Joanna’s classmate, Yanko, grinned broadly as he celebrated his membership
in the MDAA Class of 2023. Without Acceleration Academies, the 18-year-old
said, things might have been very different.
“I would have probably been in jail right now, not going to school, in the
streets,” Yanko says. “I wouldn’t say dead, but close enough.”
“
Along with his
parents, he says,
MDAA educators
helped him
envision himself
as a success. “I
didn’t want to
let them down
because they
believed in me.”
-Yanko A.
Yanko was born in Cuba and came to Miami with his family in search of a
better life. But early in his time at a traditional high school, he fell in with a
bad crowd, made bad choices and even spent a brief time in jail. “I was just
following the wrong path, skipping school, getting in trouble with the law,”
says Yanko.
It wasn’t always easy for Yanko to keep focus. But if he’d begin to drift, he
knew that the MDAA team — especially Assistant Academy Director Maria
Serrano and math coach Q Varzideh — stood ready to urge him back on track.
“Miss Maria, she helped me a lot. She believed in me,” he says. If he ever lost
momentum, “She would call me, text me — and if not, she’d call my mom.”
As for Coach Q, “He told me, ‘You’re going to be one of my first graduates.’ ”
When Yanko first arrived at MDAA, he worried that educators there would
write him off because of his past troubles. “At my other school, my teachers
saw me as ‘that kid’ and told me to sit at the back of the class.” At MDAA,
he found a different welcome. “We don’t want you to fall back into your old
footsteps,” the educators told him. “It felt like somebody cared about me graduating,
doing well in life.”
Their confidence paid off, as Yanko strode across the stage to grab his diploma
head toward his dreams of studying business in college, starting his own construction
business — and making his parents proud.
Pathways Magazine | Winter 2023 23

Scenes from the Academies
Acceleration Academies celebrates our recent graduates!
24 Pathways Magazine | Winter 2023

Pathways Magazine | Winter 2023 25

class notes
Marion County, FL
We have been open a little over a year and already
have more than 300 GCs enrolled, and 11
graduates! Our GCs can complete their school
work on site and remotely, but the majority
come on site to work closely with their content
coaches and GC advocates. Our young learners
are making progress toward their goals every
day, and we are excited to see what their futures
hold. — Amy Wagner, Director
Bethel, WA
Bethel Acceleration Academy has graduated
76 graduation candidates since the beginning
of June. In the last school year (2022-23), we
graduated 103 GCs, which surpassed our previous
record of 65. Our enrollment is over 400
as we continue to reach record highs. We have
some superstar staff members who continuously
go above and beyond to serve our learners
and our community.
— Kevin Torres, Interim Director
Wichita, KS
Wichita Acceleration Academies celebrated the
achievement of 20 GCs in its second graduation
ceremony of 2023, bringing the total number of
graduates this year to 41. We are honored and
proud to have played a role in these GCs’ educational
journey, and we look forward to seeing
where this trajectory takes them in life.
— Chris Turner, Director
Ector County, TX
In recent months, Ector County Acceleration
Academies has prioritized student well-being
with programs like “Stress Less Tuesdays” and
“Talk About It Thursdays,” easing test prep
stress and addressing grief. In December, our
inaugural state testing session surpassed the
district’s 95% participation goal! EAA’s positive
impact on the Odessa community continues
as our GCs progress toward their goal of
earning their high school diploma.
— Natosha Scott, Director
Clark County, NV
Clark County Acceleration Academies have
grown to 1,700 graduation candidates strong with
731 graduates since we opened our doors. Our
January ‘24 graduating class is expected to be
over 150 GCs. The staff continues to utilize key
signature AA practices to ensure the opportunities
for success in this model. We are proud that our
GCs have completed nearly 10,000 courses since
July and that we continue to meet and exceed our
network standards for engagement.
— Eric Gant, Regional Vice President
Lee County, FL
It has been just over a year since the direct hit from
Hurricane Ian. As our community recovers, our
kids are recovering, too. We celebrated moving
into a larger and more accommodating temporary
site in June. The new school year has brought an
enrollment explosion. And in August, we reaped
the rewards of our hard work by celebrating our
first five graduates. With a new outlook on life,
our graduates proudly walked across the stage
with their heads held high as they walked with
their Lee County peers in a joint ceremony with
Lee County Public Schools. It was a defining moment
for all of us. — Shelley Markgraf, Director

Sarasota County, FL
Sarasota Acceleration Academies celebrated 46
graduates this year in ceremonies held at Suncoast
Technical College. Our partnership with
the college provides our graduate candidates
access to postsecondary services such as academic
counseling, career planning and financial
aid support. Our students are encouraged to
continue their education as it has a direct impact
on job security and income opportunities.
In Sarasota County, SAA is helping to build
strong communities.
— Michelle Llinas, Director
Gwinnett County, GA
In September, we hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony,
officially celebrating our beautiful campus,
and our partnership with Gwinnett County
Public Schools. This year, the excitement continued
with not one, but two unforgettable commencement
ceremonies, honoring 26 remarkable
graduates. Great things are on the horizon!
— Hashima Carothers, Director
St. Lucie County, FL
St. Lucie Acceleration Academies are growing.
With more than 330 graduation candidates currently
enrolled and the addition of a new registrar,
SLAA continues to help more and more
young people realize their dream of earning a
high school diploma. With 56 graduates so far
this school year, our next graduation in January
is shaping up to be another huge success for our
partnership, our community, and our GCs.
— Paige Latham, Director
Escambia County, FL
Escambia County Acceleration Academies continues
to grow, more than doubling our numbers
from last year as we surpassed 200 graduation
candidates. We celebrated 48 graduates in 2023,
compared to 15 in all of 2022. As we grow, we
continue to focus on engagement and course
completions as we work together to help our
GCs reach their goals.
— Mathew Taylor, Director
Carolina Shores, SC
Carolina Shores Acceleration Academy welcomed
our first GCs for orientation on September
12th, followed by our ribbon cutting on
September 28th. One month in, we are thrilled
to celebrate 12 course completions and our first
whole course completion with one of our GCs
completing Chemistry A & B. We look forward
to an outstanding inaugural 2023-2024 school
year. — Deirdra Brasch, Director
Miami-Dade County, FL
I am elated to share that as of December 2023,
Miami Dade Acceleration Academies have
graduated 490 individuals. This is just the start
as we are confident 500 will graduate by January
2024! Furthermore, exciting ventures are on the
horizon as we have recently partnered with the
Teenage Parent Program to provide much-needed
resources and facilitate education for our
graduation candidates who are parents. 2024
will be an amazing year!
— Indira Mardis, Director
Lowcountry, SC
Lowcountry Acceleration Academy has had an
incredible school year so far. We have partnered
with the YWCA to offer opportunities for our
graduation candidates to be exposed to health
science careers. We have also launched South
Carolina college tours to provide a taste of life
on local college campuses. Meanwhile, our GCs
are meeting daily, weekly, and monthly academy
targets and continuing to move steadily
toward earning their diplomas. It’s exciting to
watch them soar! — Amber Speights, Director
class notes

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