Graduation Student Spotlights

At Primavera, we have countless talented students, working diligently to earn their high school diplomas. In many instances, earning that high school diploma is no easy task, but despite their circumstances, our students trudge forward until they succeed!

In light of our upcoming graduation ceremony, we’re highlighting two of our Primavera students who, despite facing obstacles, are finishing courses with Primavera and walking this July! Check out their inspiring stories below.

Mary Ellingson, 18, Primavera graduate

 Mary is a small-town girl from Waterloo, Iowa. Growing up, Mary enjoyed going to class and even had a perfect attendance record in elementary school. As high school arrived and the homework load became more intense, Mary found the work of six classes at once to become stressful. But being the first in her family to complete high school, homework help wasn’t always a resource she had at home.

“Every day when I came home from school, I would ask for help from my dad and he would yell at me. Every day, it would just make me feel less and less important and made me not want to graduate.”

But she did have one source of help to look to, as Mary said. Her mother encouraged her to continue with her education.

“My mom was my main supporter of all this she pushed me and told me that I can do it.”

In fact, it was her mother who helped her find Primavera. Mary told us that the two courses every six weeks was the most appealing part of Primavera to her.

“I became interested in Primavera when they told me how long each class is and that you take new classes every six weeks,” said Mary. “I chose Primavera because the school seemed more focused and perfect for me.”

Since she switched to Primavera, Mary has passed all of her classes, and has found more time to reconnect with her family. Once she receives her diploma in July, Mary will be the first in her family to graduate high school.

“I want to thank each of the teachers that I have had over this school year. My math teacher Mrs. Thomas and my English teacher Mrs. Davis who have helped me get to where I am now. Without their hard work and dedication, I would not be walking in graduation this year. I’m so grateful for this amazing school and how it’s helped me manage my time better.” – Mary Ellingson, graduate

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Austin Jimenez, 17, grade 12

 Austin is another Primavera student about to graduate this July. According to Austin, Primavera gave him a second chance, where he has since been able to pull up his grades and graduate despite being told it was impossible for him by family members.

Austin is originally from California. When he lived with his mother and step-dad, he got into trouble with the wrong crowd and didn’t care about good grades or school. One day, Austin realized he wanted to complete high school, so he decided to move out to Arizona.

“I decided to move away from distractions and went to live with my aunt and uncle here in Arizona. They signed me up for Primavera and my aunt talked to someone from Primavera to get me all scheduled for school,” said Austin. “They made it possible for me to graduate on time!”

Being in an environment where Austin was encouraged and pushed helped him to turn his academics around. With a lot of hard work and the help of guidance counselors and teachers, Austin went from being over a year behind to graduating on time!

“My family in California had no faith in me. They said I wasn’t going to be able to graduate. Now that my aunt and uncle have pushed me to get good grades,  I have a future for my life! Thank you so much Primavera for getting me back on track!” – Austin Jimenez, 18, grade 12

For more information on Primavera’s upcoming graduation ceremony, head to out our blog post.