ChallengeU students across Ohio celebrate graduation
ChallengeU, a statewide online dropout prevention and recovery community school program based in Cincinnati, celebrated its first graduation class in Ohio Saturday, June 15, with 40 students tossing their graduation caps in front of cheering family, friends, teachers and counselors.
The crowd included City of Cincinnati Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon-Kearney, who, during her remarks, asked every graduate to say out loud to themselves and to the crowd, "I am important!" and urged them to say that to themselves every day from that day forward.
Nearly half of this year's ChallengeU Ohio 2024 graduates traveled from across the state with family and friends to take part in Saturday's celebration. This year's 40 ChallengeU Ohio graduates include:
• Chase, 20, residing in Jamestown
• Aidan, 17, residing in Bellbrook
• Ethan, 19, residing in Fairborn
• Bryce, 18, residing in Miamisburg
• Blake, 19, residing in Dayton
• Avah, 18, residing in Cincinnati
• Samantha, 18, residing in Xenia
• Christian, 18, residing in Hillsboro
• Paige, 18, residing in Springfield
• Sarah, 17, residing in Canton
• Emma, 18, residing in Cedarville
• Sierra, 17, residing in Hillsboro
• Isaiah, 21, residing in Cincinnati
• Peninah, 21, residing in Kettering
• Jayden, 18 , residing in Waynesville
• Calli, 20, residing in Akron
• Kenzie, 18, residing in Farmersville
• Caleb, 19 , residing in Lebanon
• Kaitlyn, 18, residing in Beavercreek
• Samantha, 18, residing in Mason
• Makayla, 18, residing in Cincinnati
• Daniel, 18, residing in Columbus
• Jordan, 18, residing in Bluffton
• Justin, 18, residing in Akron
• Chloe, 18, residing in Belmont
• Bre'Asia, 19, residing in Cincinnati
• Rodney, 18, residing in Felicity
• Aryana, 17, residing in Beavercreek
• Ruby, 18, residing in Cincinnati
• Landon, 18, residing in Fairfield
• Kaden, 20, residing in Centerville
• Danyou'll, 20, residing in Cincinnati
• Alexis, 18, residing in Hillsboro
• Alexius, 20, residing in Cincinnati
• Noah, 19, residing in Fairborn
• Justin, 17, residing in Columbus
• Samantha, 17, residing in Middletown
• Micah, 18, residing in Ashland
• Jaiden, 18, residing in Cincinnati
• Skylar, 16, residing in Dayton.
The school, which began in Ohio in 2023, is transforming the trajectory and futures of high school students who would not have graduated otherwise. The program is a public high school completion program designed for at-risk students aged 14 to 21 and provides a graduation/life coach and a free laptop (with a free hotspot) to students so that they can complete their coursework and, therefore, have a better future.
"Every student deserves an equal opportunity to build a promising future," said Nicolas Arsenault, CEO, ChallengeU. "After partnering with U.S. and Canadian public schools for 10 years and re-engaging more than 35,000 dropouts and helping them graduate, ChallengeU combined its experience and technology to build the first ChallengeU Community School in Ohio. We are not asking the underserved students to come back to school; we created a school that comes to meet them where they are. Our team is honored to make that a reality, resulting in pathways to productive careers and bright futures."
To learn more about ChallengeU's program and view student testimonials, visit ChallengeU.com.
About ChallengeU: ChallengeU is an international nonprofit community school that seeks to graduate high school students who either dropped out previously or were on the verge of dropping out. The program, already proven in Canada and in other U.S. states, was launched in Ohio in 2023. Our intervention model combines the flexibility of online learning with the power of building relationships through in-person coaching. Our coaches provide complete support in collaboration with local community organizations. We engage students in various levels of support, ensuring they will have the confidence and motivation to commit to working with us toward graduation and post-graduation opportunities. In 2022, ChallengeU was recognized as a B-Corp Best For The World™. For more information, visit ChallengeU.com.
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