Students at the Acceleration Academies held a summer commencement Monday to celebrate their achievement of graduation and all their hard work.
Natosha Scott, director of Acceleration Academies, congratulated the students on reaching the milestone and thanked Ector County ISD for its support in partnering with Acceleration Academy to support students in need of a non-traditional learning environment.
There are about 33 students who have graduated between May and now. Eight were in attendance at the Acceleration Academy, located in the Prosperity Bank Building in downtown Odessa, but six came up to take their certificates.
ECISD Superintendent Scott Muri said the idea of something like Acceleration Academies was discussed during a retreat with board members from across Texas about three and a half years ago.
Four members of the ECISD Board of Trustees were at the ceremony.
Muri said they didn’t know the name of Acceleration Academy, but they were talking about an opportunity to look into the community and find students that have “made a decision perhaps to drop out of high school.”
“So how could we recover them, bring them back and ensure that they have a high school diploma? Because we all know that a high school diploma opens doors, so it’s fun today to be standing here,” Muri said.
Muri said the students were also there Monday because of the partnerships that they have with parents, grandparents, a sibling or other family member, boyfriend or girlfriend who gave them a little nudge.
“And then you have people in this room. You have teachers; you have administrators; you had other educators that were a part of your life, perhaps coaches or others that played a role in you being here today. The Acceleration Academies is a reality because Ector County Independent School District partnered with them to make this place happen for you. You are each here today because you have partnered with people over the last 18, 19, 20 years that made this possible,” Muri said.
Marco Salazar came to Acceleration Academies about a year ago in need of a non-traditional learning environment.
“His determination is personified in his life’s goals,” Scott said.
Salazar, who was at Permian High School, said he and his brother, Raul Vasquez, started a private chef business, which made it difficult to fit school in.
They have Ratengo, their private chef business, and Ratengo Brothers, which is their food truck.
With Acceleration Academies, he was able to come in 20 hours a week and work from home.
Salazar said the staff really motivated him and seemed like family, wanting him to graduate more than he himself did.
He thought he didn’t have to get a high school diploma to be a chef, but staff told him he was right there and pointed him in the right direction.
Salazar told his fellow graduates they can be anything they want to be. He added that the only person that can stop them is themselves.
He added that some of the best advice he’s gotten is to invest in yourself and set impossible goals.
Salazar said he didn’t find his love for cooking until he moved in with his brother at age 16. His brother was already a sous chef at a Wolfgang Puck restaurant in Dallas and was promoted to executive chef.
His brother told Salazar he was going to be a dishwasher because Salazar had moved in with him. His brother slowly began to show Salazar everything and he developed a passion for it.
Despite his misgivings at first, Salazar said he talked to the executive chef at the Marriott and was asking him questions before graduation. The chef told him if he didn’t get a high school diploma, he wasn’t going to waste his time on Salazar, so there was some motivation for him.
Dakota Davis, 17, wanted to graduate from high school faster. He had been at PHS as well.
Davis said he didn’t feel much about graduating Monday, but said it’s nice to be done with school.
“As a junior, I don’t have to go through my whole senior year,” so now he can go straight into the workforce, Davis said.
He added that Acceleration Academies was good for making up credits as well because he had to make up two and knocked them out in a week.
“The program is really nice. Anyone could do it. It’s probably the best thing. … The teachers are always here to help you and they’re just amazing people. … It’s like a family here,” Davis said.
Oscar Torrez, 20, had attended Odessa High School. He’s looking into financial aid to attend college.
“It was very easy to use,” Torrez said of the program, “very user friendly and the people were great. They helped me out.”
A combined summer graduation is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Performing Arts Center at Odessa High School.
