Adrianna Egbert is a young woman with a mission — literally.

For 4 years, VaShon Evans-Barnwell showed up at high school, making an appearance and going through the motions — but not much more. When it came time to join his classmates at graduation in 2019, he didn’t have enough credits to stride across the stage and claim his diploma.

Coralynn Long has always loved education, data and the way the human brain operates. As a graduation candidate advocate responsible for helping young learners stay on track and reach their goals, she’s found a way to blend all three.

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