Benjamin knew more doors would open to him with a high school diploma. But with a requirement to spend six hours per day at a place he didn’t want to be, he knew the traditional high school setting wasn’t for him. “It was a struggle,” he said. “I looked at getting a general education degree,
Megan saw first-hand what can happen to a family that doesn’t value education. “I came from a broken-down home,” she said. “I always wanted to finish high school but had obstacles in life. My mom and step-dad were on drugs. I really didn’t have money, but I left home and ventured into the world at
Natasha faced anxiety from the thought of attending a traditional high school classroom. “Anything online and accessible throughout the day was better than regular school in a building at set times,” the Seatac, Washington, native said. “I had dark times and depressed and did not see value in life and going to school and dealing
While growing up, Cassie never became too attached to friends in school. Her family moved around about once a year—making friends stopped being worth the effort. “High school kids are not exactly known to be friendly sometimes,” Cassie said. “The pressures and school atmosphere for the social aspect was hard for me to want to
Madeline wasn’t convinced a traditional high school was quite right for her. When her boyfriend suggested she try Graduation Alliance, as he had, she took after his hard-working example. “In high school I had trouble focusing. It was hectic and I just wanted to have fun,” Madeline said. “With Graduation Alliance I can do my
Kayla has always been a go-getter. With big dreams for the future, the Spokane, Washington, native wanted a fast-track through high school so she could get down to business—with a business license. “Now that I’ve graduated, I can go to college and get my career started,” she said. “I’m planning to get my business license
Tristen was performing perfectly in a traditional high school setting. That is, until he moved to a new town for his senior year. “The school literally gave me panic attacks the moment I walked in. It was so much bigger than any school I’d ever been too,” he said. “Finishing high school was my biggest
Jordan was ready to start his career and leave school forever. The problem? He hadn’t yet earned a high school diploma. “School itself was my biggest challenge,” Jordan said. “Just having to work on someone else’s schedule was hard. I couldn’t found time.” When a counselor in his traditional high school told him about opportunities
Nate wanted to be in school, but his home life made that hard. So when an enrollment counselor from Graduation Alliance left a voicemail for him, after being referred by his local school district, he immediately called back. “I work full time, so my family and challenges at home really started to interfere with my
While growing up, Cassie never became too attached to friends in school. Her family moved around about once a year—making friends stopped being worth the effort. “High school kids are not exactly known to be friendly sometimes,” Cassie said. “The pressures and school atmosphere for the social aspect was hard for me to want to