The Excel Center’s first graduate receives a high school diploma and will continue her education.
Brittany Mills tried multiple times to earn her high school diploma after a car accident in 2007 led to her not finishing the credits she needed to graduate. She attempted a credit recovery program and also looked into getting her GED, but it wasn’t until The Excel Center opened that she was able to finish her coursework.
Nineteen years later, Mills is now a high school graduate, the first from The Excel Center. She has earned her diploma alongside a dental assistant certification, and is continuing her education to pursue a career in dental hygiene.
Mills attributes her success to the individual attention and personalized support that she received from The Excel Center team.
“Everyone at The Excel Center wants to help; they look into your future and see what you want to do with your life,” said Mills. “The on-site childcare helped make it possible. My little boy got to come to school with me, and if I didn’t have that, it would have been a challenge.”
“Brittany’s story exemplifies why it was so important for us to open The Excel Center,” said Richmond Vincent, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Valleys. “She is the first of many adults whose lives will be changed through education at The Excel Center. We are proud of her dedication to finishing the classes to earn her diploma.”
“The support services offered through The Excel Center remove barriers that often keep adults from returning to school,” said Kelley Weems, senior director of community impact at Goodwill Industries of the Valleys. “Brittany’s story shows what’s possible when those barriers are removed. Access to education doesn’t just help someone earn a diploma. It opens the door to new opportunities and a brighter future.”
More than 14,000 adults in the Roanoke Valley do not have a high school diploma. Mills’s graduation is the first step in The Excel Center’s mission to help more adults earn a diploma while preparing for careers that offer long-term stability and growth. Operated by Goodwill Industries of the Valleys, The Excel Center is Virginia’s first public adult high school. The tuition-free school provides flexible scheduling, life coaching, transportation assistance and free childcare so adult learners can pursue their education while balancing work and family responsibilities.