Lowcountry Grads Find Independence and Community

Lowcountry Acceleration Academy (LAA) celebrated its newest class of graduates at a ceremony honoring the way each of the 34 young learners had pushed through challenges to earn a high school diploma many might have thought out of reach. 

“We are so proud of the incredible work you did to get to the finish line,” Academy Director Amber Speights told the grads. “It is because of you and your parents and guardians that we are able to do this work. We wish you all great success and know that we'll always be there.” 

One of the grads, Ava Reagor, says that she thrived with the combination of independence and community she found at LAA, a public charter high school in North Charleston, South Carolina. 

In her early years, Ava attended Montessori school, where she was encouraged to chart her own path, take responsibility for her work and participate as a full-fledged member of a school community. Her career as a competitive cheerleader reinforced that mix of individual excellence and collective purpose. 

But moving into her high school years, she had a different experience. While some of her teachers at her old school were helpful and encouraging, others treated her and her classmates with what she saw as a troubling blend of disrespect (forbidding them to have their cellphones, for instance) and inattention. In an honors U.S. history class, the teacher would give lectures and show them videos, then say, “Ok, do your work now. You’re on your own.”

Transferring to LAA, she was immediately struck by the trust and independence granted to her and her fellow graduation candidates. Rather than having to spend long hours sitting in a row of desks, she was able to choose a comfortable seat in the cafe-style setting. Rather than following the bell from class to class and asking permission to visit the restroom, she was able to work at her own pace and move about as she wished. 

“I’m a self-motivated worker,” Ava says. “I have to be able to really want to do it myself.” 

But she’s not an island. As a young woman motivated to master her coursework and move on to college, she values the insights expert teachers can provide. At LAA, all she had to do was ask. 

“Here, I find it really easy to relate to the teachers,” she says. Science coach Theresa Duncan (who is also Ava’s cheer coach) helped her to understand the role mitochondria play in powering a cell by likening them to cheerleaders at a pep rally. 

“Now that,” declares Ava, “makes a lot more sense.” 

Often, she didn’t even have to ask. Math coach Sarah Aquino would routinely stop by to check in on how she was doing — as would the other academic, personal and career coaches on the LAA team. “Even teachers I never had know my name!” 

Having educators review her work and celebrate her progress played a big role in motivating her, Ava said. “Reassurance really plays a big part for me.” 

With that encouragement and her own hard work, Ava earned the right to walk across the stage and celebrate her diploma with other members of the Class of 2023. She believes the habits she developed along the way will help fuel her success when she studies filmmaking in college. 

“That’s why I like it here,” she says. “It’s setting me up for good habits.” 

Click here for a gallery of photos by photojournalist Andrew Whitaker.