A joyful group of family members, friends and educators gathered to celebrate the latest class of graduates from Escambia County Acceleration Academies (ECAA).

Amya Marston found the best way to celebrate her 18th birthday — by joining the Class of 2024. Amya says she couldn’t have done it without St. Lucie Acceleration Academies (SLAA).

Edgar Castaneda is a gifted student who found it frustrating to constantly wait for other students to catch up with him in classes at his former high school.

Struggling with family issues and his own mental health, Alex Parker missed a lot of school during his sophomore and junior years. Entering senior year at his former, traditional, high school, he faced the possibility of not being able to graduate on time.

Nayka Jean has big dreams: enlisting in the army, becoming a nurse, helping to build a hospital in her home country of Haiti, opening a club in the United States where people can forget about their cares.

Idaly Morales’ parents brought her and her brother to the United States from Mexico in hopes of giving them a broader range of opportunities — opportunities that, Idaly knows, begin with a good education.

Kemani Hurd tried both online and in-person high schools, but he couldn’t seem to hit his stride. Trying to master physics during his junior year, he would go after school for extra help but found himself in a crowded classroom with teachers who couldn’t give him the attention he needed.

Addressing the graduates of the Sarasota Acceleration Academies Class of 2024 at their recent commencement celebration, academy director Michelle Llinas reflected on Robert Frost’s most famous poem.

When Jax Randles looked out at other members of the Bethel Acceleration Academies (BAA) Class of 2024, he marveled at how far he and his classmates had come.