Savannah moved around a lot when she was in high school. With each move, she fell just a bit further behind.

She reached the end of her senior year a few credits shy of a diploma. And that was that.

Or, so she thought.

Then one day, a few years after leaving school, she got a call from an adviser from the Waterloo Community School District.

“She told me I’d have the ability to work at my own pace and that I could do as many or few classes as I have time for,” Savannah said. “It was like I was getting another chance to make a big difference in my life.

Committed to her studies, even as she continued to work full time, Savannah had completed the classes she needed for her diploma in just a few months.

Now she’s on her way to culinary school.

She didn’t always have that goal in mind, but know that she is a high school graduate, she knows what she wants to do and how to get there.

“My plan now is to find another job to start saving money for that,” she said. “I’m not going to let anything stand in my way.”  

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Graduation Alliance is helping school leaders across the nation re-engage dropped out students. You can learn more here.