Ava B. a Graduating Senior Gave the Following Speech Describing Her Time at West Campus

Hello, my name is Ava and I am a 2025 Westside West Campus graduate. I want you all to take a moment to listen and be a part of my story. In doing so, it is my desire for others to relate to some of the students who may attend West Campus. It is with utmost appreciation, I thank all of the staff, because without their help and support, along with family, this opportunity of graduating would not have been possible for me.

One of the reasons I want to share my personal experience in high school is to help others see that it is possible to come from nothing and be above everything. From the time I was in kindergarten to 8th grade I attended a private school. I was growing and learning around the same friends and support systems for 9 years. When I came to Westside’s Main Campus my freshman year, it was hard for me to adjust to the scheduling and student to teacher ratio. I began to fall behind. As time went by, I was failing classes and by the end of my freshman year I had only passed 5/20 classes. As my time at Westside Main Campus progressed, my attendance began slipping and the grades kept dropping, leaving me feeling like I had no hope to continue highschool.  The deans and counselors would push me to be there and offer me deals, so I would come to school. I would agree to, but never actually followed through.

When it came down to my senior year I understood I needed to make a change with myself. I knew I wanted to graduate high school and I knew I couldn't face the guilt of telling my family I didn't follow through. Senior year started at West Campus and I was mentally ready to participate. I started following along with my goals and kept a strict routine during my school days. I understood that this was only for the better of myself, so it was a lot easier for me to stay consistent. I found myself wanting to turn my work in on time and I wanted to see an improvement. It helped me feel better about being at school again. I had many great opportunities at the West Campus that I knew I needed to take advantage of. So many doors opened after just doing my work with consistency and keeping a positive attitude about school.

The Westside Community Schools require 210 credits to graduate. When I started at West Campus in August 2024, I had 37 credits and was not considered a freshman. With my hard work and dedication, I have completed more than 20 online courses, passed all of my in person classes and I will be walking the stage with more than 250 credits. I couldn't be more excited.

I'm more excited to share my story, hoping to inspire other students who also feel behind. Know that doing your work and wanting to understand material is only beneficial to yourself. By choosing to keep a negative outlook on school and doubting the impact of an education only holds you back from self-confidence and pride. No matter how far behind you think you are, there is always time to do your best and make a decision to turn things around. As one of my teachers told us, “We may be delayed but not denied the opportunity to change.”