Alex, born and raised in Chesterfield, is one of four siblings. He began attending Meadowbrook in ninth grade. After experiencing personal challenges and the weight of virtual learning during the pandemic, he began to lose motivation. His biggest struggle was getting to school – his frequent absences start to have a real impact on his grades.  When LaTrina Lee came on board as the school’s CIS Reengagement Coordinator, she began identifying students who could use extra support and motivation to reach graduation. Alex was not initially one of those students – she only began working with him just four weeks before graduation. The two quickly started with a game plan, which included Ms. Lee checking in with Alex every week. Through positive encouragement, Alex began arriving at school on time. They also worked on ways he could complete missing assignments instead of waiting until the last minute. Ms. Lee found a private space where Alex could focus on his school work without distraction. When Alex officially knew that he would be able to graduate with his peers he made a point to give a huge thank you to Ms. Lee for helping him improve his grades.

Now that he has received his diploma, Alex plans to relax and travel before entering the workforce. Alex hopes that he will be happy with what he chooses as a future career because he wants to love what he does.