Happy Mother’s Day.
Today, more mothers than ever are enrolled in school, from earning their high school diploma to receiving their doctorate degree. Many have returned to fulfill personal aspirations. Others attend for financial stability. All want to make their children proud.
Academy of Hope Adult Public Charter School (AoH) alum Kenzie Robinson is a leading example. As a mom of seven—with two already graduated from high school—Kenzie wanted to show her children that she could achieve this milestone as well.
In 2003, Kenzie left high school in the 11th grade after becoming pregnant with her first child. While she attempted to return to school in 2007 and 2010, she soon decided to prioritize work and financial support for her growing family over her education.
Kenzie worked for years, bouncing between jobs. But after the birth of her seventh child, Kenzie was forced to extend her maternity leave because she couldn’t access adequate childcare. Her mother usually cared for her children while she attended work, but her mother had passed away. Other childcare was costly and difficult to find. She turned the situation into a positive one by using the time off to earn her high school diploma once and for all.
Taking this step forward, she enrolled in Academy of Hope’s (AoH) National External Diploma Program (NEDP) in 2023. She liked how NEDP allowed her to work from home on her own schedule, so she could still care for her child. While balancing motherhood and school revealed its challenges, Kenzie said it helped her to improve her time management skills—skills she could use for her portfolio and her personal life.
Once her child became old enough to enroll in pre-school, Kenzie didn’t quit.
“I’m just going to do this this time around. I’m going to stick to it,” she said.
Her support system would contribute to her success. Lead NEDP Advisor/Assessor Dawn Williams and Advisor/Assessor Elizabeth Early guided her through learning, understanding, and successfully completing the material. Kenzie’s Math Teacher, Danyelle Duval, and her “math magician” brother helped her overcome her most challenging subject.
By February 2026, Kenzie completed all the requirements of the NEDP portfolio to earn her high school diploma. She will join the Class of 2026 graduating this June, and bring her firstborn son to watch her cross the stage for a full-circle moment.
Kenzie hopes this accomplishment will show her children that their “life will always have its challenges, but your goals are worth fighting for.”
“I just want this to show them that education is important, but no matter how old you are, you can still get it. It’s never impossible to do it … And I’m proof that it’s not. I want them to know that you can keep going. If you fail, you just keep on trying.”
Kenzie carries that advice as she continues to find a career path for herself. While her current plan is to pick up her work in the medical field, being a mother of a child with autism has inspired her to look deeper into early childhood and special education.
This Mother’s Day, we celebrate Kenzie and every mother who rewrites their stories while caring for the people who depend on them most. Motherhood and ambition are not opposite forces— they often fuel each other. Their determination to get their education not only transforms their own lives but also ignites a new path for the next generation.