When Roberto Hilarion and his sister were younger, their parents moved from Cuba to Miami in hopes of building a better life for their children.

Selena Farlow and Jesus Ortiz didn’t plan on becoming parents as high school seniors. But once it became clear that they would, they needed a school where they could not only earn their diplomas but also take good care of their baby boy, Damian.

At his old school, Christian Gentele was a standout football player and popular kid. But an excess of extracurriculars and a lack of discipline in his coursework made him fall further and further behind.

Kennede Thomas had always been a strong student. She remembers with pride earning a place in honors geometry at her old high school. But when the Covid pandemic shuttered schools during her freshman year, everything changed.

Tamia King had always been a strong student. She enrolled at a magnet high school focused on legal studies, made good grades, and seemed to be on her way.

Ja’Lissa Leggett had always been a good student. But in a traditional high school, with its crowded classrooms and busy teachers, she fretted about requesting the help she needed.

While many students lost ground when the Covid pandemic temporarily shut down schools, Alivia Angelina Erbella Apodaca found her sweet spot studying remotely.

When Rufus Wallace was at a traditional public school, he struggled to maintain focus. And with so many other students, it was hard for his teachers to provide the kind of one-on-one help he craved.