On Tuesday, June 10, Goodwill held a joint graduation ceremony for graduates of the Goodwill Excel Centers located in Gary and Hammond. Over 55 graduates, along with their families and friends, gathered in the auditorium of the Hammond Area Career Center for this exciting occasion. The attendees offered enthusiastic applause as each graduate walked off with their hard-earned diplomas.
At the Goodwill Excel Center, adults 18 and older can receive an Indiana Core 40 diploma and a wide variety of certifications free of charge. Since they were founded, the Excel Centers have had nearly 900 students earn their high school diploma. To facilitate the education experience, each center offers its students childcare, flexible scheduling, and transportation assistance. The Excel Center, along with Goodwill’s other community-enriching resources like the Nurse-Family Partnership, are directly supported by the selling of items that are donated to Goodwill stores.
The graduates received certificates and congratulatory letters, courtesy of Indiana’s Eleventh District State Senator Mark Spencer, who was in attendance. The evening’s guest speaker
CEO of Diversified Marketing Strategies Andrea Pearman, emphasized the power of education and encouraged the graduates to be brave as they continue to forge ahead.
Two students, one from each Excel Center, were presented with the Debie Coble Achievement Award, which is named after the CEO of Goodwill Industries of Michiana. This distinction recognizes students whose dedication and passion for learning make them stand out. Coble herself presented the awards to each of the winners.
Now that he has secured his diploma, Amari Lee, a graduate of the Hammond Excel Center and one of the Debie Coble Award recipients, has aspirations to become the CEO of his own discount streetwear clothing brand and potentially enter the real estate business.
“It’s nice to have won the Debie Coble Award because it feels like I mean something,” Lee said. “It makes me feel appreciated. That’s probably my favorite part of receiving it. I’m also grateful for my time at the Excel Center. It’s not overcrowded, so the teachers and staff can work one-on-one with each student. They support the people who really need it.”
The coronavirus pandemic hit while Lee was still in high school, forcing Lee and his classmates into remote learning. Unfortunately, Lee became distracted by playing video games and neglected his studies. As a result, he was unable to complete high school. Although he believed he would be able to secure employment without a diploma, he learned that this was not the case. With few options left open to him, Lee enrolled at the Hammond Excel Center, which happens to be conveniently located right across from Morton High School, his alma mater. The four years he spent studying at the Excel Center brought about some important changes in his life.
“My time at the Excel Center gave me the opportunity to meet people and learn from them,” Lee said. “If you can’t learn from others, you can’t grow. Networking can also open up other new opportunities for you. If you build upon your network and the things that you learn from the people in it, you can achieve more.”
You can learn more about the programs that Goodwill offers and how you can support them by visiting Diploma4Me.com.
