At Ector County Acceleration Academies, educators care not only for high school students but also the most special people in their lives — their babies.
Working in partnership with the Ector County Independent School districts Teen Related Parenting Services program, educators at EAA support young parents by providing free day care, help with government benefits, and the opportunity to participate in “Dad U” and the “Beach House” facility for moms who need to nurse their babies while on campus.
“It’s that collaboration that makes the program unique,” Life Coach Maya Cotton says.
Among the students benefiting is Alexis Lagrone, a 17-year-old woman with a 1-year-old son, Maleek. Traditional school didn’t work for her for a variety of reasons, including the difficulty she had balancing a normal school schedule with her other responsibilities.
“I had a job, I had school and I had a baby,” she says. “It was overwhelming.”
At EAA, she found quiet learning spaces, a schedule flexible enough to work around her other responsibilities, and ample support for her both as a student and a young mom.
“Transferring to Ector Acceleration Academies has been the biggest blessing,” she says. At the end of May, she completed her coursework and earned the right to graduate and pursue her dream of becoming a nurse. “I have a 1-year-old son who needs me and I have a diploma waiting for me to grab it.”
Interested in learning more about how we help young parents graduate? Check out this post!
Brian Argomaniz is another young parent who found EAA to be the perfect fit. With a 1-year-old daughter, Sareena, and another child on the way, Brian found the academy’s flexible, personalized learning approach to be just right.
He had dropped out of traditional school due to a lack of motivation. But when his first child was born, he realized a diploma was the key to a brighter future — including starting his own car wash business.
“I’ve got to have a better future for my daughter and my son,” says the recent grad. “I want them to be able to have a good yard, a good house. I never had my own room; I want them each to have their own room.”