She Didn’t Think She’d Make It—Now a Tassel Hangs from Her Mirror
Elizabeth is a graduate of the Grad Solutions high school diploma program, Class of 2022. On graduation day, she shared her story of the journey to graduation, and how she never thought she’d make it this far…
Elizabeth proudly shows off her diploma
Elizabeth lived in Phoenix, Arizona most of her life. As she grew up, her dad had addiction problems which her family dealt with their entire lives. She was always fluctuating through different elementary schools. The instability that came with dealing with his struggle made it very difficult for her to do school.
Additionally, she struggled with social anxiety and depression in high school. She was attending [another] high school and dropped out about two months into her sophomore year. During that time, her dad had been in jail for about seven months. When he was in jail, she thought he was going to be in for life. This made it difficult for her to do anything. She lost all of her motivation.
After about a year of not doing any school, around what should have been the end of her junior year, she found Grad Solutions. She felt the program was great. It was more about staying on track with the learning plan and not necessarily focused on doing a lot of [school work]. The arrangement helped her stay calm and focused on her work. The non-threatening nature of the program helped free her from worrying, something she really needed to finish. “You're not worried all the time. You always have someone there for you, to talk to you about what's going on and help you with the outcome,” she says. The program made things very easy and comfortable for me. That's why she loves Grad Solutions.
Elizabeth and her mentor Aften Wright
On the evening of her graduation in July 2022, Elizabeth’s mom was there. After the long journey, she took to get to graduation, knowing she was there to see her walk the stage meant the world to her. Elizabeth knows her mom is proud of how far she has come. She’s thankful for the entire high school adventure that she didn’t have to take alone. Her mentor was there with her all along the way. She built a relationship with her and reassured her that she could do it. She never gave up on her. “She helped so much. My mentor is one of my best friends,” she says.
Elizabeth never thought she'd make it here —where she could receive a cap and gown. She definitely didn’t think she'd be able to hang a tassel from her mirror in her vehicle. To her mind, nothing could be better than finally graduating high school. If you’re thinking about getting back into high school, Elizabeth says, “It’s worth it. Do it. You're gonna feel so proud of yourself.”
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