The Academy of Hope Adult Public Charter School (AoH) Class of 2026 will soon cross the stage. As they celebrate, we want to remind our graduates of the progress they have made and the possibilities ahead if they keep investing in themselves.
This blog shares the story of 2023 AoH GED graduate Diamond J. Even though she faced many challenges, Diamond went from leaving high school to now working toward a bachelor’s degree at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU).
At a young age, Diamond J. was forced to choose between school and survival.
Her parents were absent, forcing her to find work to support herself. From 16 on, Diamond worked at McDonald’s, paying for food, rent, and other necessities. She dropped out of high school in her junior year to focus on earning a paycheck.
“When I dropped out of school, it wasn’t like I wasn’t doing well. I didn’t have bad grades. I was in honors classes. I just had to choose between two options.”
For the next decade, Diamond worked different jobs to build a stable, comfortable life for herself—server, grocery store manager, and truck driver. She found the most success as a supervisor at one of Peloton’s warehouses, earning up to $80,000 a year. Unfortunately, this came to a screeching halt when Peloton’s storefront moved to Amazon, closing almost all Peloton warehouses in 2022.
“They let go of everybody. That was the highest-paying job I ever worked. It’s probably the most comfortable I’ve been in my life, and the fact that I lost it out of my control … it was very upsetting.”
Finding another job that would pay her a similar salary without having a high school diploma was difficult. So, once she found a temporary job to stabilize herself, she decided to enroll in the Academy of Hope Adult Public Charter School’s (AoH) GED program in September 2023.
Diamond was excited to be back in school from the jump. She was always attentive in class, asking questions, raising her hand if she knew an answer, and studying hard after hours.
“I felt like, ‘Why didn’t I do this sooner?’ I have a seven-year-old … I have to lay a foundation and create my own legacy.”
Her teachers acknowledged and appreciated her eagerness to learn and help her peers. Her math teacher even had so much confidence in Diamond that she recommended she take the GED mathematics exam before the class was over. She passed the test on the first attempt.
Diamond completed the remaining subject exams to earn her GED in just three months.
Earning her GED was a game-changer for Diamond. With her diploma in hand, she soon secured employment with the Department of Human Services, working as a Customer Service Representative for Washington, DC’s Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs. Motivated by this progress, Diamond also enrolled in AoH’s Information Technology (IT) CompTIA Tech+ pathway to earn the training needed to transition into an IT career.
While Diamond did not complete the IT course due to family loss, she soon encountered new opportunities. In late 2024, she was invited to join AoH’s alumni advancement program, Hope Forward.
Diamond speaks highly of Hope Forward. Every aspect of the program “opened my eyes” to how she can live to her greatest potential and transform her and her family’s lives. From daily habits (i.e., self-care and time management) to professional development (i.e., goal setting and mock interviews), Diamond gained self-awareness of how she was living her life and how to improve it to build the legacy she’s dreamed of.
In fact, the program “empowered” her to progress her education at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) to study finance. She hopes to follow in her aunt’s footsteps— who has a PhD in finance— and become a financial analyst.
“Now that I know nothing is unattainable with getting my GED, I know I can get to where I want to go … when I put those positive vibes on myself and out into the universe, I usually win.”
And continues to stay connected with AoH. She receives frequent emails from Hope Forward Program Coordinator Tiah Lormejuste with tips on how to continue professional and personal growth. Even a few of her peers from Hope Forward joined her team at the Department of Human Services, where they discuss how the program changed their lives.
With support from AoH and Hope Forward—and strengthened by her growing confidence—Diamond no longer faces the impossible choice between school and survival. She can now pursue post-secondary education without financial burden, opening a pathway to economic mobility while providing stability and opportunity for herself and her family.
To learn more about the overall impact of AoH, and stories like Diamond’s, read HERE.