Thanks to supportive Ingham Academy staff, Rochelle has a bright future ahead of her.
“Before Ingham Academy, I was at a really low point in my life,” said Rochelle. “I never went to school because I was bullied.”
Rochelle became truant and was put on probation for missing too much school. Her Probation Officer recommended Ingham Academy, a day treatment program for court adjudicated youth that is operated by Ingham County Circuit Court, Ingham Intermediate School District, Highfields, and Peckham Industries.
Since school was never a positive place for her, she wasn’t looking forward to it. She was dealing with challenges at home, and wasn’t emotionally invested.
The Ingham Academy staff supported Rochelle and helped her work through her problems. She made strong relationships with her teachers and finally felt motivated.
“Personally, with everything I was going through, I really needed someone to encourage me,” said Rochelle. “At Ingham Academy I could go at my own pace and that helped me a lot. I was able to go further, faster.”
For three years, Rochelle worked hard to earn credits and improve her grades. She also took advantage of the work-based learning program with Peckham and worked in the kitchen and the farm. This program helps students earn money as well as school credit.
“It taught me a lot about work ethic and responsibility because I never had a job before,” she said.
Rochelle is proud of completing high school. She looks forward to attending college in the fall, and wants to work with animals.
“I never thought I would graduate,” she said. “This is a really big accomplishment for me.”