Two years after moving to the United States from his native Mexico, David Espinoza Cervantes has his American dream firmly in mind. He’d like to become an electrician, build a family, and return to his hometown to build a school so students can study close to home.

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 needed to get it.

At 16, Alizeah Jones already has a clear sense of how she’d like her life to unfold. She just needed a school that would allow her to move at the fast pace that, for her, works best.

Family, friends and the educators who helped them at every step celebrated the most recent class of graduates from Bethel Acceleration Academies at an Aug. 9, 2022 commencement ceremony.

With a crowd of school district leaders, educators, students — and Odessa area TV and newspaper outlets — in attendance, Acceleration Academies of Ector County celebrated a new campus and new opportunities for learners seeking a flexible, personalized path to their high school diplomas.

Photos by Martha Asencio Rhine

At Ector County Acceleration Academies, educators care not only for high school students but also the most special people in their lives — their babies.

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.

Like many Acceleration Academies students, 17-year-old Kendell Mast had a hard time thriving in a large, crowded high school. It was too easy to fall behind in her coursework and feel lost in the crowd.