Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program Graduate

A.J. came to the Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program (JJAEP) campus in November 2018 after being expelled. When he arrived, he fought the rules and tried to buck the system. However, as he adjusted to the program and began to trust the staff, he began using the program to his benefit. He began regularly attending and engaging in positive, productive conversations with staff and was able to complete his credits for the Fall 2018 semester. He even started to exceed the program requirements, putting in hours at home in the evenings. He excelled in his Art and Government classes, completing an exceptional final project in Art that included a presentation.

He began regularly attending and engaging in positive, productive conversations with staff and was able to complete his credits for the Fall 2018 semester.

As he began to trust in the JJAEP staff, he felt comfortable talking about his life and his future. He had an honest, mature conversation about balancing his work schedule and his school attendance. He worked with staff to create a balanced schedule that would accommodate his schoolwork and his job.

Upon returning from the winter holiday, he set a personal goal to complete all the credits needed for high school graduation in Texas by Spring Break. He accomplished this goal and became the first student to graduate from the Bell County JJAEP. The JJAEP staff are immensely proud of A.J. for setting a goal and seeing it through. After graduation, he was working full time and contemplating attending a community college in the fall.