Academy of Hope Changes Lives

Photos of recent graduates greet all who pass through AoH's doors

Academy of Hope impacts the lives of over 400 adult learners a year. While we cannot pave the road to success, we empower our students with a quality education so that they have the tools and skills they need for the tough road ahead.  We foster in our students a common sense understanding that they must always commit to challenging their own status quo and become life-long learners.  As a result, 85% of our graduates have transformed their lives by leaving public assistance and going on to college or additional vocational training.

Meet AOH Alumni:
 

Andrew North

Andrew joined Academy of Hope’s and Strive DC’s young adult fast-track GED program in October 2009. After only one, six-week session, he passed the practice GED exam. Although Andrew passed the practice exam, he was unable to take the official exam because he lacked an ID. His age (17) also became a major obstacle to taking the official exam. Andrew did not give up. He enrolled in AOH’s Pathways to College program and continued his studies until he turned 18. Andrew’s practice scores continued to improve the longer he stayed in the Pathways program.

  Immediately after turning 18, Andrew registered and took the GED. He passed with very high scores. This fall, Andrew enrolled in courses at the Graduate School and is currently pursuing a degree in nursing. Because of his studies in the Pathways College prep program, Andrew tested directly into credit, bearing college courses.

Khaleelah Bynum

Khaleelah was disappointed when she finished her first term of GED classes in the newly formed (October 2009) STRIVE DC & Academy of Hope Strive for Success Program. She had taken the Practice GED but, her math and writing scores were too low to be to pass the Official GED. In December 2009, she re-interviewed for a spot in the January term. During her interview, staff informed her that she would need to be much more focused the second time around to ensure that she was able to pass the test. She promised she would try her hardest to and take the courses seriously.

In her second term, Khaleelah began to mature; she was no longer a follower but a leader, she improved her attitude and worked extremely hard especially in math. At the end of the term celebration, we were happy to announce Khaleelah had passed both the writing and math sections of the Practice GED. But, the real challenge came several weeks later when she took the Official GED. The good news came in April 2010 that Khaleelah was 6th GED graduate of the Strive for Success program. She has begun applying to nursing programs and will one day be a great addition to the medical field. She plans to attend UDC in the fall.
 

Michael Cola

“I had to drop out of school in the 10^th grade, because of a family reason. Throughout my life there were many different jobs. Some I liked and some I didn’t like. Some jobs were easy and some were hard, but all in all, I learned to keep my head up and do the best that I could.”

This “keep your head up” attitude defined Michael’s time as a student at Academy if Hope.  He was known by students and teachers alike to be warm and committed, often helping his fellow students, and was quickly elected to the Student Leadership Association.    

Michael’s persistence has paid off. Last fall he received a high school diploma through the EDP program.  He chose to stay at Academy of Hope, participating in the Pathways to College program, where he was able to conduct the research to write his first research paper, revise his resume, write scholarship essays, and complete the FAFSA application.  He will begin classes at University of the District of Columbia Community College this fall.  There he plans to earn an associates degree and enter the business field.