CANYON, TEXAS -- It's a school that's giving hope to those who've lost it. Midway Alternative High School pushes students to succeed and earn a high school diploma, who otherwise would not receive it.
Midway just finished up it's second year, doubling the number of seniors graduating then it's previous year. 43 students walked across the stage, and with each student, there's a story of triumph and defeat. Pronews 7 is featuring Midway in this week's Region 16 Spotlight Education report.
From battling teen pregnancy, drugs and alcohol abuse, even homelessness, or just falling behind in their studies. Each student that walks through the classrooms at Midway, has a story to tell. Each student having the desire to further their education, but needing that extra hand up in life.
"The kids that come out here have a got a multitude of stories of things that are going on in their life and the hands that they've been dealt often times are not that good. But they're able to work through them and they start seeing the importance of a high school diploma," said Shawn Neeley, Midway Alternative High School Principal.
Neeley credits the wonderful teachers at Midway who often times work individually with students before and after school to make sure they're able to make passing grades. He also says Midway is different from Canyon or Randall High School because it keeps classroom sizes small and the students work at their own pace. If they miss a day, they don't fall behind. Marcie Parker, graduated this year and says with the stresses of being a young teen mom, having to work and go to school, she had lost all hope.
"This time last year I didn't think I was going to be able to finish high school so it was great to have something to be like, oh, I finally did it," said Marcie Parker, Midway Alternative HS Graduate.
For Lacy Francis, she says she had no desire to graduate and chose to go to Midway.
"I want to be successful, I want to do good show my dad that I can do it. I just want to go far in life," said Lacy Francis, Midway Alternative HS Graduate.
Neely says he's already expecting this coming school year to be another successful year, with high enrollment numbers already.
