The Stories & Insights That Matter
Miami Grad Rufus Wallace: ‘They Were the Gasoline in my Car’
When Rufus Wallace was at a traditional public school, he struggle to maintain focus. And with so many other students, it was hard for his teachers to provide the kind of one-on-one help he craved. Tr...
LAA’s Cassius Murray: ‘I Can Just Get It Done At My Own Pace’
Cassius Murray is a quick study — so quick that they can lose ground when asked to move at the same pace as most of their classmates. “I almost ended up failing 8th grade math because I knew all the s...
Ja’Kerien Sutton: ‘I Just Let My Faith Be Bigger Than My Fear’
During the first semester of his senior year at a traditional high school, Ja’Kerien Sutton was on track to graduate with his class. But then an altercation with another student turned ugly and — just...
SAA Grad Bryce Johnson: Getting Back on Track Post-Pandemic
When the Covid pandemic shut his public high school in 2020, Bryce Johnson didn’t spend the long months toiling away at home via a remote learning program. He got a full-time job as a construction wor...
Joseph Bigot: ‘I Came for a Better Education’
When Joseph Bigot arrived from his native Haiti in 2017, he spoke mostly Creole and had to adjust to a very different education system. But he knew what he wanted, and he wasn’t afraid to do the work ...
Maria José Paz: ‘They Never Give Up on You. Never.’
When Maria Jose Paz’s mother died, she left behind a fervent wish: that her daughter complete her high school education and take the first step toward a better tomorrow.“She wanted me to have a better...
Mya Kirce: ‘They Put Me Back Together’
It wasn’t so long ago that Mya Kirce didn’t think she’d ever graduate. In the final stretch of her senior year at her old high school, family turmoil left her homeless and she lost hope. “I didn’t hav...
MDAA’s Nick Montolio: ‘I Had Space to Grow’
After facing hostility at his old high school, Nick Montolio found his learning home at Miami-Dade Acceleration Academies. Today, he’s a proud grad. “For young adults … that are in the LGBTQ communit...
Maura Paredes: Finding Her Way Out of a ‘Black Hole’
For Maura Paredes, traditional high school was never the right fit. Navigating the crowded corridors, she felt her anxiety soar. When she would fall behind in class, she hesitated to raise her hand an...
Josiah Gadia Celebrated as ECAA’s First Graduate
Josiah Gadia was in his final semester of high school when the pressures of an unstable home life, the need to hold down a job, and the challenges of schoolwork became too much to bear. “I was really ...
SLAA Grad Antony Spence Reclaims Hope, Plans for College
For Antony Spence, the Covid pandemic couldn’t have come at a worse time. He was already losing ground in high school, falling behind in his studies and feeling socially ill at ease. When schools clos...
Savannah Payne: ‘She’s Wise Beyond Her Years’
Once Savannah Payne found her way to St. Lucie Acceleration Academy, she knew she was home. “It was comforting,” she said of the school where she found not only a personalized curriculum but educators...