February 3, 2025 | Jeffrey Good
There was never a question in Christian Hernandez’s mind: He wanted to finish high school. There was, however, a host of challenges — especially the need for him to work until 1 p.m. each day at his family’s Guatemalan restaurant.
Once he reached senior year, those two schedules collided and he made the hard decision to drop out.
“It made me sad because I did always want to finish high school,” he says. “I feel like it’s something everyone should have. If I could get a diploma, I could get into culinary school and get a good career.”
Unwilling to give up his dream, Christian found his way to Gwinnett County Acceleration Academies in Georgia, which works in partnership with the public school district to provide a flexible, personalized path for students like Christian.
The minute he walked into the campus, he knew this was a different kind of school. Instead of rows of cookie-cutter desks, he found comfortable seats and a relaxed-but-studious vibe.
“It didn’t really feel like you were in a classroom; it felt like you were in a cafe,” says Christian. “It created a really nice environment and because of that I was able to work at a faster pace.”
Gwinnett County Acceleration Academies provides students a comfortable environment with different seating options.
With the flexible schedule, Christian was able to come to campus most every day and stay for 4-5 hours. He loved the ability to focus on one course at a time. Most of all, he appreciated the educators who offered help whenever he needed.
“It was easy to get a teacher’s attention,” he says.
English coach Morris Bevily provided firm, caring guidance. “He pushed me to finish a lot of assignments,” says Christian. “Also he was really helpful. Any time I had a question he would be there to answer it in a way that I could understand.”
Also encouraging was graduation candidate advocate Jamaal Hickman. “He would always say, ‘You got this.’ ”
With their support and his own determination, Christian realized his goal and celebrated his diploma. He’s planning to take the skills and passion he found in his family’s kitchen, supplement them with a culinary school education and build a career serving excellent food to appreciative diners.
Christian learned about Gwinnett County Acceleration Academies when a letter arrived in his mailbox shortly after he had dropped out of his previous school. He called to enroll that same day — and he’s glad he did.
“It was really easy for me to get back in the school mindset,” says Christian, 19. “It’s a really good school.”
Gwinnett County Acceleration Academies in Duluth, GA, serves high school students ages 16-20. The tuition-free flexible education program provides an alternative approach to earning a high school diploma. Learn more >>>