Nobody's motivating me to graduate, nobody but me, at least.
Sure, people try to pep talk me, but none of it works on me. While most of the people around me have something motivating them to succeed, I'm working on my own accord. -"> Donald, Grade 11In the United States, 1 in 5 students will drop out before he or she finishes high school. How does this statistic affect students in our community?We hear from Evertech Alternative High School students, representing six school districts in Broome and Tioga Counties. Students share their personal stories on being the first to graduate in their family, how they are affected when a classmate drops out of school, and who is supporting them in achieving graduation.Student features originally aired during American Graduate Week, March 11 to March 15, 2013, on WSKG Radio.
Listen to students' American Graduate stories
WSKG is proud to share the powerful stories of local teens as part of Youth Voice: American Graduate Edition. Congratulations to all our future American Graduates!"When I look into the world today, I see people struggling for food, people always in need of money, and I hear on the news how scarce jobs are."-Bobby, Grade 11 "If I drop out, or even if I get my GED, I would be throwing away twelve years worth of work."-Thomas, Grade 11 "Not because they want to boss me around or treat me like dirt, it's because they want me to succeed."-Stephen, Grade 11 "If I were to drop out of high school, I would be the first person in over 100 years in my family to have dropped out."-Jordan, Grade 11 "Since I was ten-years old, that has been my dream. That dream is the only thing that keeps me wanting to graduate from high school."-Jake, Grade 11 "On the walk to school, I would plan my day out in my head as if I was setting my own daily goals."-Randy, Grade 11