March 13, 2023 | Jeffrey Good
With proud family members and dedicated educators cheering them on, the latest class of graduates from Sarasota Acceleration Academies celebrated their high school diplomas and the futures they have just made that much brighter.
Mariana Rojas, 18, is one of newly minted grads. Without the personalized support and steady encouragement she received at SAA, she says, she never would have never made it to this day.
“Without Sarasota Acceleration Academies, I probably would have just gotten my GED,” says Mariana.
Mariana’s parents came to the United States from Mexico in search of more opportunities for themselves and their children. Mariana tried traditional high school but found herself falling behind in crowded classrooms and overworked teachers. The fact that English is her second language compounded the challenge.
“It’s not their fault,” she said of her old teachers. “I’ve never been the type of person to focus when there are a lot of people there.”
She tried an online school, but found that solitude quickly led to distraction. Then she found out about SAA, where graduation candidates can take advantage of flexible scheduling and as much one-on-one coaching as they need.
“Somebody was always there to help you,” she says, singling out math coach Khaliah Augustin among others. “They would never get frustrated. They’re just here to help.”
Her classmate, Jeffrey Smith, also credited SAA educators with helping him cross the finish line. Jeffrey, 18, had finished all the required coursework at his old high school, but he couldn’t get past the state reading test required of all Florida grads.
After three failed attempts, he said, he had pretty much given up hope. “I gave up. It didn’t feel good, I’ll tell you that.”
He decided to make one more try with intensive preparation at the academy. His SAA English coach broke down sections of text into chunks that were easier to digest and helped him build skills as the day of his fourth test drew near.
When he sat down to begin the test, Jeffrey says, “I was actually confident.”
That confidence was well-placed; this time around, he passed and was able to don his cap and gown. “I just needed to have my diploma,” he says. “All those years of school, I didn’t come all this way just to come up short.”
Mariana has dreams of opening a “dog bar” to serve pets and their humans, and perhaps developing a career in real estate. For his part, Jeffrey is going to train to become a firefighter and EMT.
His advice to other young learners struggling in a traditional setting is to find a school that works for them. “Don’t give up,” he says. “You’ve just got to keep pursuing what you want.”
A total of 14 grads were celebrated at the Feb. 17, 2023, ceremony. In addition to Mariana and Jeffrey, the grads are: Allan Batterton, Krista Clarken, Ruby Estrada, Channon Freeman, Brandon Kirkland-Shea, Gage McFadden, Mack Philone, Alaija Pitts, Nathan Ricca, Holly Schwartz, Bryana Sherman and Ashton Wright.
Sarasota Acceleration Academies accepts new students on a rolling basis. For more information, check out the academy web page and fill out an online enrollment form.
