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I graduated from Pendleton High School (through the Gateway to College program) on May 12, 2009. There were times when I wasn’t sure I’d make it, but all the hard work paid off – I walked across that stage with a real sense of pride. (My family was pretty excited, too!)
I dropped out of high school when I was in the 10th grade. Traditional high school just wasn’t for me, and I got involved with the wrong crowd. I was the first and only one in our family to drop out of high school. I felt like a huge failure.
When I found Gateway, it drastically changed my life. From my first semester, I loved it and school. I was super motivated from day one because I wasn’t treated like a kid. The instructors didn’t hold my hand, and I realized that I was smarter than I thought I was. I really fit in here and there was no teen peer pressure. (And, of course, I was also motivated to prove to my family and to myself that I could be successful.)
The teachers at Tri-County really have a heart -- they care about students. The Gateway staff and my teachers pushed me and made me see that I can do it. They are like a second family to me.
I’m a different person now. I still struggle with personal issues like lots of people, but I push through and stay focused. I know now that I would be nowhere without an education. I didn’t know that when I dropped out. I actually love school – I never thought I would say that! My plan for the future is to continue studying at Tri-County and earn my associate in Arts degree. Then I want to transfer to Clemson University and earn a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in education. When I get all that finished, I want to come back to Tri-County and teach for Gateway!
