Student Spotlight: Olivia

My name is Olivia. In seventh grade, my mom went to rehab because she was an alcoholic. In eighth grade, my mom and dad got divorced. In my freshman year, my dad died. In my sophomore year, my best friend, died from alcoholism. I never cared about school or anything else because I was depressed. I just thought I was too stupid for school, so I never tried until I entered Project Graduate at The Literacy Alliance.

I learned about TLA while I was attending an alternative school. At first, I was hesitant, but TLA is truly the best thing that has happened to me.

Something that surprised me since joining is how much everyone cares about you and how supportive they are. It is so helpful to have people who are so involved and want to see you succeed.

This program has truly opened my eyes to see that I can succeed and earn my high school equivalency (HSE) diploma. I plan to attend Ivy Tech for the nursing program once I earn my HSE. My advice for anyone thinking about earning their HSE is to believe in yourself. The people at The Literacy Alliance are more than willing to help you reach your goals.