Hannah knew the value of education. Having grown up in a small private school, she was eager to continue her learning in a traditional high school setting.

But the change was overwhelming, partly due to the sheer size of the campus and class sizes.

“School was already hard,” Hannah said. “Then, I got sick for two or three weeks, and I had trouble getting all that homework done by the short deadline I was given. I fell behind, and it became too hard to catch up.”

Feeling like she had fallen through the cracks, Hannah decided to leave high school without a diploma.

“When I told them I was leaving, Davenport Community School District introduced me to the Graduation Alliance program,” she said. “I had always wanted to finish school, preferably early. Being able to take classes on my own time and take my tests when it was convenient was a better choice and fit my needs.”

Planning to start college soon, Hannah said she’s got a few fields she wants to pursue, including business or early childhood education so she can teach kindergarten.

“I feel like a giant weight has been lifted off my shoulders,” Hannah said. “If I ever have children, I want to put them through Graduation Alliance.”