Good People Fall 2023

STO R I E S O F H O P E & T R A N S F O R M AT I O N FA L L 2 02 3

MICHAELA ORONA

Inaugural Class of 2015

The Goodwill Excel Center 10 years after graduation.

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! s n o i t a l u t a r g Con

THE GOODWILL EXCEL CENTER

CLASS OF 2023

Excel Gradution 2023

CONTENTS 2 Celebrating 10 Years

The Goodwill Excel Center

4 Second-Chance Education for the Justice-Involved 6 After Graduation

Excel Class of 2015 grad, Michaela, talks about life 10 years later.

8 A Good Night for Goodwill

Left: Graduates from the Class of 2023 celebrate with family and friends at their graduation ceremony in June.

More on page 4

To donate, visit goodwillcentraltexas.org/giving or scan code:

10 YEARS OF EMPOWERING STUDENTS This school year marks the tenth anniversary of The Goodwill Excel Center, our adult high school. What a privilege to serve our community through education and empower tremendous student success over the last decade.

What started with one Austin community campus and a graduating class of 50 people has become six campuses, with a graduating class of 356!

At Goodwill, we believe that education and employment are true pathways out of poverty. In 2013, the legislature and Texas Education Agency authorized our proposal for the first high school model where adults ages 18 to 50 could return to school to earn their diplomas and complete training for a highdemand career.

Excel maintains the fundamental tenet with which we began when we opened our doors in 2014 – wholeperson support.

450 180

30

50

THE GOODWILL EXCEL CENTER THEN AND NOW 2

Excel at a Glance The school empowers students to achieve through:

1,800+

Graduates

• Personalized learning • Coaching • Access to childcare • Mental health counseling • Transportation assistance

19,000+

Students Served

• Basic needs and resources • Career education services In honor of our 10 years, Excel is hosting multiple celebratory events throughout the school year – including an alumni reunion, open house, and a ‘Student, Friends, and Family Day’.

1,000+

Career Certifications Earned 14,800

2,750

3,118 364

School Year Team members Graduates Students Credits earned

2014/2015 30 50 364 3,118

2023/2024 (projected) 180 450 2,750 14,800

Visit the website at excelcenterhighschool.org for more information.

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SECOND-CHANCE EDUCATION FOR JUSTICE CAMPUSES! As a testament to our belief in the transformative power of education, and thanks to a collaboration with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and Windham School District, The Goodwill Excel Center operates four campuses within correctional facilities.

Justice Education (JE) Campuses are designed to serve students facing the challenges of incarceration and provide long-term support and preparation for re-entry into the community.

JE graduation Class of 2023

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We opened our first JE Campus in 2016 at the Coleman Unit for Women in Lockhart with 23 students. Excel also operates Justice Education Campuses at Billy Moore Correctional Center and the Diboll Correctional Center in East Texas. A fourth campus will open at the John B. Connally Unit in Kenedy, Texas later this year. As of June 2023, these campuses have served more than 4,100 people with more than 700 graduates obtaining their high school diploma.

356Class of 2023 Grads 14,000+ Credits Earned 5

From 2014...

Michaela was looking forward to the future after she graduated from The Goodwill Excel Center in 2015. When she started classes, she walked to and from class at the Norwood campus while her infant daughter was in daycare (prior to the opening of the Exploration Center early learning center).

After school, she walked to multiple night jobs to make ends meet. She knew she wanted a better life for her family, so she promised herself that she would buckle down and finish with the first graduating class. “I was grateful for the opportunity. My teachers were all supportive and helped me get through. I still have connections to my Life Coach and other friendships I built there,” said Michaela.

After graduation, Michaela completed her training and nursing assistant certification through the Goodwill Career & Technical Academy (GCTA).

She continued to receive support from Excel and

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Goodwill through career services, community resources, and financial literacy classes.

“I opened my first bank account.

And, with it, I was able to purchase my first car!”

Michaela is now embarking on the next step of her career journey. After eight years of success in the medical industry, Michaela sought guidance from her Excel alumni coach and will soon begin college for registered nursing.

“

I always tell people about Excel. There are amazing people there who love to do their jobs.

They made me feel like I could do it. And I did.

The Goodwill Excel Center Class of 2015

”

...to 2023 The Class of 2023 Valedictorian, Student Leadership Award winner, and Netspend Tuition Scholarship recipient, Olga Leal, earned her nursing assistant certification in April while completing her high school diploma at Excel.

Next, she intends to pursue a career in healthcare.

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A GOOD NIGHT FOR GOODWI LL

Thank you to our sponsors to-date!

UFCU Frost Bank Higginbotham Way Service, Ltd. Clean Scapes Margaret & Mat Moten Kristin & Tony Ruff

Please join us to celebrate A Good Night for Goodwill and support programs that break the cycle of poverty through meaningful pathways to work.

SEPTEMBER 29 ★ JUNIOR LEAGUE OF AUSTIN CENTER 6–8:30 PM RECEPTION, DINNER, AND PROGRAM ★ 8:30–11 PM AFTER PARTY

SXSW RAFFLE ★ SILENT AUCTION

AFTER PARTY TICKETS ★ SXSW RAFFLE PLEASE VISIT:

thatsgoodwill.org/good-night-2023 OR SCAN QR CODE

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Cara & Mike Clifford Cushman & Wakefield Mara & Phil Fouts Mojdeh Gharbi & Max Hoberman Elizabeth & Gary Gunter Marsh McLennan Agency Sunrise Technologies Texas Capital Bank Cheryl Koury Catherine Savage Smarter Benefits Solutions Bank of America Bracewell LLP Ferguson Facilities Supply Mohan Kharbanda Corky Logue Diane Ring Shopgoodwill.com Media Partner | Curated Texan

Host Committee Sam Bakir Mike Clifford Elizabeth & Gary Gunter Mohan Kharbanda Cheryl Koury Margaret Moten Rob Neville Curtis Page Catherine Savage Richard Shields

Bridge Fund Supporters Sam Bakir Glenhill Asset Management Myra Leo & Billy Atkins Claire Mathias Monica Matous Margaret Moten Rob Neville Tracie Stookesberry

That’s upside down.

Tops & more

Find more than you think for less than you imagined.

Sometimes when you come in to Goodwill looking for a find, you score a black and grey top perfect for living upside down. On top of that, your purchases help people in the community in need.

There’s Goodwill in all of us. That’s Goodwill.

www.goodwillcentraltexas.org 9

1015 Norwood Park Blvd.

Austin, TX 78753

That’s creepy.

That’s GOODWILL

goodwillcentraltexas.org/halloween