Coralynn Long has always loved education, data and the way the human brain operates. As a graduation candidate advocate responsible for helping young learners stay on track and reach their goals, she’s found a way to blend all three.

Two years after moving to the United States from his native Mexico, David Espinoza Cervantes has his American dream firmly in mind. He’d like to become an electrician, build a family, and return to his hometown to build a school so students can study close to home.

When Joseph Bigot arrived from his native Haiti in 2017, he spoke mostly Creole and had to adjust to a very different education system. But he knew what he wanted, and he wasn’t afraid to do the work needed to get it.

At 16, Alizeah Jones already has a clear sense of how she’d like her life to unfold. She just needed a school that would allow her to move at the fast pace that, for her, works best.

Family, friends and the educators who helped them at every step celebrated the most recent class of graduates from Bethel Acceleration Academies at an Aug. 9, 2022 commencement ceremony.

With a crowd of school district leaders, educators, students — and Odessa area TV and newspaper outlets — in attendance, Acceleration Academies of Ector County celebrated a new campus and new opportunities for learners seeking a flexible, personalized path to their high school diplomas.

If you’ve stumbled across this post, you’re likely wondering whether or not you should pursue your high school diploma. Maybe your family circumstances have made it difficult to commit to the demands of a traditional high school. Maybe you didn’t get the one-on-one attention from teachers you...

Photos by Martha Asencio Rhine