Congratulations on being accepted to enroll at Acceleration Academies! You might be asking yourself “What happens next?”

Clark County Acceleration Academies (CCAA) began the new year with pomp and circumstance, celebrating the latest class of graduates — 142 young people who pushed through adversity to earn their high school diplomas and move ahead toward college, trade school, military service and well-paying jobs.

A group of graduation candidates and educators from Lowcountry Acceleration and Carolina Shores Acceleration Academies — two South Carolina public charter high schools — joined more than 1,000 other students, parents and teachers in celebrating National School Choice Week at the South Carolina...

On the cap she wore to celebrate her recent graduation from Miami-Dade Acceleration Academies (MDAA), Daniela Arbelaez emblazoned this message: “The pain you feel today is the strength you will feel tomorrow.”

We all know that obtaining a diploma is something to be proud of, but it can be easy to lose sight of just how much this achievement can impact your life. From professional advancement to personal satisfaction, it's not just a sheet of paper — it's a key that unlocks countless doors

At her old high school, the crowded classrooms and bright lights felt overwhelming to Ellerie Hamner. And because she has epilepsy, having to get up early each morning to begin a traditional school day jarred her system in a way that sometimes caused petit mal seizures.

When the pandemic hit the United States, it disrupted education and forced students and teachers to adapt in new ways. Suddenly, the traditional school system couldn’t operate the same way because classes weren’t held in person for a time.

At Carolina Shores Acceleration Academy, the learning opportunities extend beyond reading, writing and arithmetic — all the way into the future college and career paths of students, also known as graduation candidates, working hard to earn their high school diplomas.

For each of the 16 graduates celebrated at the most recent Gwinnett County Acceleration Academies (GCAA) commencement, the day represented not an ordinary step in their life journey but instead an extraordinary triumph of their determination.