INDIANAPOLIS — It’s the day many students at the Excel Center have been waiting for: the day they get to walk across the stage and receive their high school diploma.
19-year-old Michael Barlow celebrated Graduation Day on Friday.
“The Excel Center was able to pull me in and get my life together. Get myself reestablished and focused on what I wanna do," Barlow said.
Barlow lost his grandmother two years ago.
He says that loss threw his life off track.
“My grandmother basically raised me. That was my best friend. Anytime I needed someone to talk to or an open ear, she was there," he said. “I know she’s here with me in spirit and I know she’s definitely carried me through this path and whole journey to get here.”
Barlow is one of the more than 8,500 people who’ve graduated from the Excel Center since its inception 15 years ago.
The Excel Center is Goodwill’s tuition-free high school for adults. It helps students overcome adversity and earn their high school diploma later in life.
“Our students come to us because they’re often facing under-employment or housing issues or they’re trying to support their families or their kids' education," Senior Director of Education Initiatives Corey Emery said.
Emery says earning a high school diploma is crucial for future careers.
More than 10 percent of adults in Marion County do not have a high school diploma, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
“When they enroll with us they get access to transportation, a life coach that guides them from enrollment to graduation and access to those post-secondary credentials that will eventually their wage-earning outcomes," he said.
Barlow was able to get his automotive certification through the Excel Center.
He now works as a mechanic.
