August 13, 2024 | Jeffrey Good
For Dylan Pettigrew, a traditional high school simply did not work. “It was just really overcrowded and they could not help you with personalized learning.”
A bright student, Dylan transferred to a school specializing in technology and college prep courses. He was taking Advanced Placement courses and doing well, until problems at home fractured his focus and he fell off course.
“After I fell behind, I felt lost and overwhelmed,” he says. “I felt I would never be able to finish on time, so I dropped out.”
But Dylan was not ready to quit. He aspires to study music in college and realized that a high school diploma is a vital first step. With most of his high school coursework still ahead of him at age 17, he decided to give himself one last chance at Acceleration Academies of Ector County (EAA).
It was exactly what he needed — a quiet, studious learning environment and educators eager to help. He credits, in particular, academy Director Natosha Scott.
“She really does focus on getting to each kid individually,” Dylan says. “She kept making me come back for more — and I did.”
In contrast to the crowded classrooms and chaotic hallways of previous schools, he found a quiet learning environment with comfortable chairs, quiet rooms and windows that opened onto a panoramic view of downtown Odessa, Texas.
He found the Acceleration Academies model — inviting graduation candidates to take one class at a time, providing generous academic and personal support, and allowing them to complete coursework both remotely and in-person — to be exactly right.
“It was self-paced; I could do it on my own. As long as I had a computer and the internet, I could do my work,” Dylan says. “I ended up getting so invested in it that I finished before I realized.”
After two years of hard work and support from the EAA team, Dylan joined the Class of 2024, realizing a dream — an official diploma — his parents had never been able to achieve.
“Neither one of my parents had high school diplomas, so my brothers and I will be the ones,” says Dylan.
Looking around at the classmates who had been by his side on the long road to graduation, Dylan feels the deepest gratitude. “I love how close the students are to each other. It really felt like a second family.”
Based in Odessa, Texas, Acceleration Academies of Ector County is a partnership program with Ector County Independent School District. We offer a blended learning model that allows students to complete coursework in person and at home, year-round. With extended on-site hours, students focus on one course at a time and can complete each course in about three weeks. When working from home, students can receive remote support to help keep them on track in their courses. Learn more >>>