10 Years of Acceleration Academies: First Woman Grad Says ‘It Was Everything I Could Have Asked or Hoped For’

In 2014, Hannah Merritt was a high school dropout, a teen mom and a young woman who knew she needed to get her life on track — not only for herself but also for her children. 

In 2024, she’s closing in on a bachelor’s degree in nursing and feeling a swell of gratitude for the non-traditional school network that is celebrating its 10th birthday this fall. 

“When I heard about Acceleration Academies, I decided that I was going to give my education one last shot,” says Hannah. “I did and it was amazing. It was everything I could have asked or hoped for at that time. I am honestly and forever grateful.” 

Hannah, now 28, was the first woman to graduate from a network of personalized high school programs that now serves more than 5,000 learners, has celebrated more than 4,000 graduates and operates in 22 locations across the United States — numbers that just keep growing. 

She graduated from the first academy, opened in 2014 by co-founders Dr. Joseph Wise and David Sundstrom in partnership with the innovative Bethel School District in Washington state. She drives by the campus every day on her way to her nursing job at a drug addiction treatment center, and thinks fondly of the educators who helped her realize her dreams. 

“They just really care about you,” Hannah says of the teachers, counselors and mentors at Bethel Acceleration Academies (BAA). “They let you know you matter.” 

There was a time when Hannah couldn’t bring herself to care about her education. Before she had even finished 9th grade, she dropped out. But after she became pregnant with her first daughter, Kora, “I thought, ‘I’ve got to get it together.’ ”

Hannah cycled through five in-person and virtual schools before learning about BAA. She particularly appreciated the flexible scheduling, which allowed her to hold down a job and care for her child while also pursuing her diploma. “I was young and I had a job, so I couldn’t go sit in a classroom 8 hours a day.”

When she became pregnant with her second daughter and doctors put her on bed rest, that flexibility became even more important, allowing her to work from home when she needed to. 

Whether working remotely or on campus, Hannah knew BAA educators stood ready to help. She remembers fondly the way Kevin Torres — one of the original faculty members and now the academy’s director — encouraged her not to give up. 

“If it wasn’t for him, I don’t think I would have finished,” says Hannah. “He would remind me of my kids, of why I was there in the first place.” 

Today, those kids are growing up; Kora is 12, her sister Nova 9 and their brother Bubba is 7. Their mom, meanwhile, is setting an example for them of building a good life — not only for herself but for others. 

At the drug treatment center Hannah works at, she helps people break the shackles of addiction. “I’ve had some family members who struggle with addiction, so it’s a heartstring for me,” says Hannah. “I’m drawn to that community, which is underserved.” 

She celebrates the fact that Acceleration Academies across the nation serve communities of students who — because of work and family obligations, social and academic anxiety, or a need to move at their own pace — don’t find success in conventional schools.

“A lot of people I grew up with didn’t graduate,” says Hannah. “With this program, there’s no reason for anyone ever not to graduate. If there’s an option to make it a little easier with Acceleration Academies, that will give them a lot more hope.”