June 9, 2025 | Jeffrey Good
Nobody has to tell Ann Evans that high school students can be cruel.
She explains that a series of hip surgeries and other ailments required her to make frequent visits to the nurse and even use a cane at times.
“They always found something new to pick on me about,” Ann says of her former classmates at a traditional public high school.
Halfway through her freshman year, Ann made the difficult decision to leave. But she wasn’t giving up. Determined to continue her education, she enrolled at Lowcountry Acceleration Academy (LAA).
That move changed everything.
Ann and LAA Assistant Director Bria Alston.
A Safe Place to Land
At the charter school in North Charleston, SC, she found a completely different kind of learning environment.
The web-based curriculum allowed the strong student to work at her own, accelerated pace. Other students welcomed her. And the teachers provided in-person academic coaching, showed her compassion and inspired her to become her best self.
Ann and math coach Sarah Aquino.
One teacher in particular — math coach Sarah Aquino — stands out for Ann. One day, after a difficult morning at home, Ann arrived on campus visibly upset. “Miss Sarah,” as she’s known by students, invited Ann to sit down and talk through the issues she was facing.
“Even though I bawled my eyes out for 2 hours, she listened. She made me feel like I belonged,” Ann recalls.
Ann with LAA Assistant Director Bria Alston (left) and Acceleration Academies Regional Vice President for SC Partnerships Jacinta Bryant.
A Drive to Succeed
Eager to pursue a career in healthcare, Ann joined Dorchester County’s EMS Explorer program, working alongside emergency medical professionals while finishing her high school credits.
The junior training program gave her hands-on experience in both emergency and non-emergency situations and a deeper understanding of what it means to serve others in times of need.
As a Dorchester County EMS Explorer, Ann helped shop for toys to donate to children in her community during the Christmas season.
In a year, she was able to finish all of her high school coursework at Lowcountry Acceleration Academy and graduate early at age 16.
After dropping out of high school her freshman year, Ann found success at Lowcountry Acceleration Academy, a public charter high school in North Charleston, SC.
Now, a fresh high school grad with diploma in hand, she’s off to college to build her career helping people like herself who want to push through injuries and illness to realize their potential.
“I always felt like I was in a space where I could be me,” she says. “I’m a better person because of Acceleration Academy.”