On Monday, June 9, Goodwill held a joint graduation ceremony for graduates of the Goodwill Excel Centers located in Elkhart and South Bend. Over 50 graduates and their families gathered in the auditorium of the Battell Community Center in Mishawaka for this exciting occasion. The attendees offered enthusiastic applause as the graduates 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 has 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.
During the course of the graduation ceremony, Indiana’s Eleventh District State Senator Linda Rogers, the guest speaker of the evening, offered the graduates her congratulations and reflected on the importance of persevering over adversity. Four Excel Center teachers were recognized for their unflagging support of students with Staff Member of the Year awards. 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 makes them stand out. Coble herself presented the awards to each of the winners.
Sheizza Lopez Alvarado, a graduate of the Elkhart Excel Center and one of the Debie Coble Award recipients, graduated with her pharmacy technician certification. She plans to pursue employment and other educational opportunities as she continues to care for and support her family.
“I feel very happy and thankful right now,” Lopez Alvarado said. “This was a very difficult journey for me, but I’m really glad that I took the opportunity that was given to me. I’m thankful for my teachers and everyone who helped me through this process. I feel that I have the option to do a lot of things now. I wasn’t expecting to win the Debie Coble award, but I feel proud and accomplished now that I have.”
Lopez Alvarado particularly appreciates the Excel Center’s childcare services, as these enabled her to focus on her studies. She is grateful to the Excel Center for giving her the second chance that she had been denied so many times before due to her age.
“I was in high school over 10 years ago, but I didn’t graduate because I got pregnant with my first child,” Lopez Alvarado said. “At the time, I didn’t have a lot of support from my then-partner. However, years later, my current partner encouraged me to enroll at the Excel Center. They gave me the support I needed. The Excel Center has given me the tools I need to achieve my goals. I want to thank the Excel Center because it's one of the best things to happen to me. The faculty and staff take pride in what they do and they help people as much as possible. They are doing a great job.”
Toinette Neal, a graduate of the South Bend Excel Center and the other recipient of the Debie Coble Award, studied nursing during her one-and-a-half years at the Excel Center. She particularly enjoyed drawing upon the knowledge she had already gained when answering questions in her classes at the Excel Center. She plans to enjoy some well-deserved time off before enrolling in the nursing program at Herzing University.
“My mind is all over the place right now,” Neal said. “I did it! I can’t believe that it’s over and that I can now go down the road I’ve been wanting to be on. It’s as if a big window has opened up for me. There were a lot of things holding me back, but not any longer.”
Neal’s path to the Excel Center has been a troubled one, to say the least. When she attempted to earn her GED through a work-study program at a local church several years ago, she was given a falsified certificate. Stuck at home, unable to secure employment, and coping with the effects of a poorly-executed spinal surgery, Neal began to wonder if her fortune would ever turn.
“I was sick, couldn’t do anything, and was tired of staring at the same four walls,” Neal said. “After hearing that my daughter planned to enroll at the Excel Center, I decided to do the same. I enrolled in October of that year and haven’t stopped since. My experience at the Excel Center has been great. I had the best teachers and life coach. The work that everybody does there fits together like a hand in a glove. They truly care about each student. I love the Excel Center because they helped me do what I am doing right now: excelling.”
You can learn more about the programs that Goodwill offers and how you can support them by visiting Diploma4me.com.