Academy of Hope is thrilled to celebrate the achievements of the Class of 2024!
This year’s graduates have demonstrated extraordinary perseverance and dedication, overcoming challenges to achieve their GED and NEDP. certifications. Their journey reflects the mission of Academy of Hope: To support adult learners in changing their lives and transforming their communities by providing them with high-quality adult education and career training that creates direct pathways to economic mobility.
We are proud of each graduate’s accomplishments and excited to see the positive impact they will make in their communities and careers. Congratulations, Class of 2024!
Academy of Hope impacts the lives of over 1000 adult learners a year. Since 1985, we have helped over 800 adult learners obtain their high school credential and 8,000 more improve their basic reading, writing, math and computer skills.
We empower our students with a quality education so that they have the tools and skills they need for the road ahead. We foster a common sense of understanding that they must always commit to challenging their own status quo and become life-long learners.
“It’s about the drive, not how fast you get there.”
Garry, 58, enrolled at AoH with the goal of improving himself and getting a better job. This wasn’t his first time returning to school. After dropping out of high school at the age of 17, Garry tried a few other times to get the education he wanted and worked several jobs in the meantime. “I was very close to finishing high school the first time around, and I kick myself every day about it. I tried night school, but that wasn’t for me. After that, I did lots of odds and end jobs—I didn’t just sit around.”
In 2002, Garry enrolled at The Perry School alongside his wife—each looking to earn their high school diplomas. Unfortunately, Garry’s wife passed away after a sudden heart attack. “We were doing it together until I lost her. Now I’m trying to do this on my own,” he says with a sigh. When asked what keeps him going, Garry recalls a 75 year old student that attended The Perry School with him. “What inspires me is that if she can get up every morning and keep going, I can too!”
Garry heard about AoH from a friend and enrolled in January 2018 with a goal of bettering himself and securing a more stable career. He says that AoH is different than the other programs he tried because “the teachers are really excellent at helping and working one on one with students. They make sure you learn and get the concept of the subject.” Science and history are his favorite subjects, but last year, Garry had just one more test to pass before he could graduate: math. When Garry took the math portion of the GED exam the first time, he missed it by one point. With his tenacity and help from AoH’s math team and dedicated volunteer tutors, Garry took the exam again in March of this year and passed!
“I received so much support and guidance. Academy of Hope not only teaches you, but supports you through your journey.”
Doris Decte, 31, graduated from Academy of Hope in 2013 after migrating to the United States from Cameroon two years earlier. Doris decided to attend Academy of Hope after settling in DC and hearing about AoH’s free programs from her mother. “Someone told [my mother] about it and said it was a great school”, Doris recalls. As a native of Cameroon, Doris was non-fluent in English, so she worked with a translator who she believed had the greatest impact on her experience at AoH. “I was getting my education and learning the language at the same time”, she says. Compared to other schools she attended, Doris says, “I received so much support and guidance. Academy of Hope not only teaches you, but supports you through your journey”.
After receiving her diploma, Doris’ goal was to get her bachelor’s degree. She began taking prerequisite classes for her Nursing Degree. “When I finished those classes, I took my Board exam to be qualified for the licensure in Nursing and I passed!” she says. “I then began an Acute Care internship at a medical center in Texas for sixteen weeks.” Her internship provided the training that she currently uses at her job as a Registered Nurse in the Stroke and Seizure Unit.
Speaking on her experience in the nursing program, Doris reflected on her journey and where she is now. “My whole life has changed! The journey wasn’t easy. At one point, I was failing in my classes and the support I used to have in DC, I didn’t have it here!” After failing the class the first time, Doris didn’t give up. Doris put in the extra work to learn a lot of terminology in a short period of time. After a couple of challenges along the way, Doris tried the program again and passed. “Everybody has a story. This is a big part of my life where I really had to hang onto the dream and keep on persevering.”
“AoH gives you the platform to get your life together. It’s a place to start.”
Antonio enrolled at Academy of Hope because he wanted to get his GED. “It was time for me to tighten up,” he says. By the time he crossed the graduation stage—one day shy of his 29th birthday—Antonio had not only earned his diploma but he had also landed a full time job at Hyatt Place Hotel through AoH’s Career Academy!
Like most learners at AoH, Antonio’s educational journey wasn’t a straight line. He left Ballou High School in 2008 while in the eleventh grade because of the environment there and the surrounding neighborhoods. “Someone was actually shot and killed inside the school,” he remembers. A few years later, he started attending Maya Angelou Public Charter School but the cost of transportation proved to be a barrier for him, and he didn’t like being around the younger student population. In 2015, Antonio found AoH while searching for a GED program in DC. He started classes that spring only to have to take a break a few months later due to personal issues. Two years later, AoH reached out to Antonio to encourage him to try again, and this time he was able to stay the course. He credits both the teachers and students for his success at AoH. “The students are more mature, so there aren’t too many distractions,” he says. “And the teachers make sure everyone is learning. Even though people are moving at different paces, they make sure everyone is learning.”
Shortly after Antonio re-enrolled, AoH launched new career academies focused on connecting learners to three high-demand industries: hospitality, healthcare and office administration. Antonio says the Hospitality Career Academy piqued his interested “because it would benefit me in the long run to get a trade certificate and eventually a job. Everyone was saying it was a good program, and one of the teachers, Rustin Moore, was a general manager at Hyatt, so if you did well, you might get a job with him.” Antonio quickly found that he enjoyed learning the ins and outs of hospitality. “We learned how it works and how to treat guests when they come to the hotel.” He notes that learning from Rustin was “helpful because it was hands on. Rustin is there every day dealing with guests and the staff, so he could share his first-hand experience.”
It wasn’t too long before Antonio earned some of that first-hand experience himself. As part of the Career Academy program, learners were able to participate in an externship at Hyatt Place. For a few weeks, they rotated through the various roles at the hotel: maintenance, front desk, food and beverage, and housekeeping. Antonio’s performance in class and throughout the externship caught the attention of Hyatt Place, and he was soon offered a full time job in the housekeeping department. So far, Antonio says, he’s loving it. “I think this is the perfect place for me. I like dealing with guests and the staff there. It’s like a big family because everyone works together, takes care of each other, and takes care of guests. I’m not normally an outgoing person, but interacting with guests makes me a more social person and I like it.”
When asked why adult education is important, Antonio answers it’s because adult education “gives people an opportunity to go back and finish school. Because it’s never too late. People sometimes make mistakes, and they have to come back and deal with the mistakes they made. This is the perfect program for them to come back and make it right. It’s the first step to getting back to where you’re supposed to be. AoH gives you the platform to get your life together. It’s a place to start.”
Indeed, Antonio is just getting started. With his diploma now in hand and full time employment under him, Antonio is ready to achieve his next set of goals like earning a promotion, moving into his own place and buying a car.
Academy of Hope offers FREE programs to DC residents over the age of 18. Enroll today and begin your journey toward your education and career goals!
