Typical high school graduations usually consist of typical graduation ceremonies. Graduates usually parade in, valedictorians and salutatorians usually give their speeches, then commencement speakers usually address the graduates.
“Typical” and “usually,” however, are probably not words that are associated with Take 2 Alternative Academy. During the school’s graduation ceremonies Thursday night, there was no main commencement speaker. Instead, graduates took center stage.
Of the 40 Take 2 graduates, a few were chosen to share their stories with those in attendance.
Two of those students are Nicholas Roden and Kourtny Edwards. And these are their stories.
Nicholas came to Take 2 from Ardmore High School.
“I have always been that guy who barely does what it takes to get by,” he said. “I never really cared a lot about my education.”
His wake-up call came when he and his parents began to notice how far behind he was falling academically. His turnaround began with a referral to Take 2.
“At first, I didn’t really want to come out here because I had heard some negative things about the school,” Nicholas said. “But once I got here, I realized that everything I had heard was false. Take 2 is really a great school and they get everybody back on track. For me, Take 2 offered better teachers and a better learning environment with less distractions. I knew right when I got out here that things would get better for me.”
Nicholas saw his grades improve from D’s and F’s, to A’s and B’s. He also got more involved in school activities.
“I immediately started to get involved in the school by running for president of student council,” he said. “I didn’t win, but it helped to raise my confidence. In doing this I actually started to enjoy coming to school and learning. I got on track, caught up on my credits and here I am now graduating. Now, leaving Take 2, I feel like I am a more responsible individual and that I am just that much more prepared for the rest of my life.”
Nicholas plans to work after graduation, but said he will miss Take 2.
“I have had a good experience here,” he said. “Tricia Brown is my favorite teacher. She is really the teacher that motivated me. I also have to say that I am inspired by Lori Bell and that David Jones always kept me laughing.”
Kourtny had always worked hard in school. She made good grades and was in advanced classes. All of that changed during her junior year at Ardmore High School.
“My mom moved away, but I wanted to stay here,” Kourtny said. “All of my friends and everything I knew was here. I thought I was grown enough to do everything on my own. But I soon realized that I wasn’t.”
Kourtny began to miss a few classes and get behind in her work. The farther behind she got, the more class she missed.
“I basically quit going to school for no reason,” she said. “I started missing a little, then I got behind and just stopped going. There was no explanation for why I didn’t attend school and didn’t do the things I knew I should. I just didn’t. I would wake up and automatically know that I was not going to go to school. This was where my life started changing for the worse. Not only did all of my grades drop and I had already failed the first semester, but I was lying to my mom and everyone else who had so much faith in me.”
In May 2007, Kourtny moved to Yukon with her mom.
“I started a brand new school the beginning of my senior year,” she said. “I absolutely hated being away from the people I had grown up with my whole life. After living there for a couple of months, I finally broke down.”
In September of her senior year, Kourtny moved back to Ardmore.
“I knew that this time, I would do anything in my power to be successful and get things done,” Kourtny said.
“I had heard that at Take 2, people were able to graduate on time by fast tracking,” she said. “I didn’t really know what it was, but I knew that Take 2 would be the only way I could possibly regain all of the credits I had lost my junior year. So, I called Mr. Meece, and finally after about two weeks, he accepted me into Take 2.”
Kourtny said she was a little nervous about starting a new school. But once she got to Take 2, things started to turn around.
“I realized how accepting the teachers were of all the students,” she said. “And also the students are very accepting of each other. Take 2 offers a good pace of learning and the teachers really go out of their way to work with you.
“During this school year at Take 2, I have gathered more lessons for life than in any other years in high school,” Kourtny said. “The teachers and staff at this school do love each and every student. These people have some of the biggest hearts and share so much love it is unreal”
As far as a favorite teacher goes, Kourtny said she can’t single one out.
“All of my teachers here have helped me in different ways,” she said. “They all really care.”
Kourtny plans to work and take college courses after graduation. Her goal is to one day become an English teacher.
“At the beginning of the school year, I was so afraid that I would not succeed at life,” Kourtny said.
“But now, I am sure that I will be able to do anything I want to do in life and be successful at it.”
Micah Groves, 221-6542
micah.groves@ardmoreite.com
