At Ector County Acceleration Academies, educators care not only for high school students but also the most special people in their lives — their babies.

When Maria Jose Paz’s mother died, she left behind a fervent wish: that her daughter complete her high school education and take the first step toward a better tomorrow.

Like many Acceleration Academies students, 17-year-old Kendell Mast had a hard time thriving in a large, crowded high school. It was too easy to fall behind in her coursework and feel lost in the crowd.

Archie Jackson Jr. and Nick Porter are friends who go way back — and have helped each other find a better way forward with support from the caring educators at Lowcountry Acceleration Academy.

Sonia Casadiego (right) and her granddaughter Sofia

These days, 2020 Sarasota Acceleration Academies grad Mya Kirce works three jobs: home health aide, brain trauma caregiver and certified nursing assistant trainee at a rehab center. “I’ve always known that I like to help people.”

Since opening its doors in August 2020, Lowcountry Acceleration Academy has attracted more than 250 students, a number that grows by the week. Many of them learned about the school from a passionate enrollment coach, LaTosha Walker.

Between the class clowns, the noisy hallways and the lack of personal attention from teachers, Giovanni Llanes said he couldn’t hit his stride like his old night school.

Now that Nicholas Joseph has a high school diploma in hand, the sky’s the limit — literally.