Alexis, 20

Alexis was excited to start college and build a better life for herself and her family. She diligently filled out applications, submitted them to the admissions offices and patiently waited for responses. But, one by one, she received rejection letters. Each letter had a common theme…her high school diploma was not valid. The online school that she attended was not accredited and Alexis was back to square one.

With two young children and no transportation, Alexis didn’t know what to do. She attended a TIP (The Information Place) meeting, a free community resource and referral service that helps “people find answers to the problems of everyday living.” It was at that meeting that Alexis found Pathways Academy, an answer to her problem. This was the accredited school that could help achieve her dream of getting into college.

Alexis found that it wasn’t easy to go to school without reliable transportation, but that wasn’t an issue with Pathways. The school offered transportation to get her and her children to and from class. With a sigh of relief, Alexis was set to go back to school to take the basic classes she needed for her high school diploma: science, math and social studies. Alexis also took parenting classes which gave her additional skills to nurture and connect with her children.

While a student at Pathways, Alexis found out that she was expecting her third child. This life event, along with seeing her fellow students graduate, gave her extra motivation to work hard at her studies. When she struggled with a class, she sought guidance and help from her teachers. Through hard work and determination, Alexis was able to pass her last classes and graduate…this time with an accredited high school diploma.

Alexis wore her grad cap proudly. Carrying her high school diploma in hand, she achieved something that she didn’t think was possible. Alexis plans to pick up where she left off and reapply to the colleges that once rejected her.