Car Donation in Frisco

Having been offered a full athletic scholarship for football, Brian believed he would live his dream of playing at collegiate level, and perhaps even as a professional. That dream, however, ended abruptly due to a serious knee injury. Frustrated, Brian dropped out of high school for awhile. When he decided to go back to school, he knew too much time had passed in order to graduate with his former classmates at his old high school. Not one to give up, he enrolled at Houston Can! Academy Hobby campus to earn a high school diploma. “After I got over my disappointment, I knew I had to do something positive with my life and I needed my education,” Brian explained. “I turned to Houston Can! Academy and loved it! Some of the rules I don’t agree with, but I know they have to have them to keep things in order.” It’s been along time coming, but he is proud to be among the 25 graduating students from the Hobby campus in 2008. “My family is very happy for me and proud that I am graduating high school, especially my Mom,” Brian added. “She is speechless. The day I got my gown and invitations she wanted to cry.” Earning his diploma is not only rewarding for Brian, but is also inspires his younger siblings to do the same, which he knows is very important. “I have two sisters and a brother and they watch everything I do, so I know I have to a good example so they say to themselves, ‘I want to graduate just like Brian did.’” The good-natured, friendly young man says math is one of his favorite subjects because it allows him to brainstorm. He also says the bond between students has been wonderful during his year and half stint at the Can!. Diploma in hand, Brian plans to join the fire department, and has already started working towards earning the 72 required hours to join the volunteer department, and then hopefully get voted into the academy. “I’m looking forward to being in the fire department,” he said. “I love the rush you get when you know that you are helping save lives!”

August 24, 2010 I moved to Houston with my family from Honduras when I was 8 years old. I have always worked hard in school and dreamed of going to college one day to obtain a degree in Business Management. I attended Cornelius Elementary School and Ortiz Middle School. After completing my 9th grade year at Chavez High School, I realized that in order for me to fulfill my dream, be a role model for my younger brother and cousins, and the first in my family to graduate from college, I needed to walk an extra mile. 

With that in mind, I decided to enroll in Houston Can! Academy Hobby campus. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Houston Can! Academy has many academic programs to help students such as my self be successful. They offer small settings, which is what I need to help me reach my goal of early graduation and fulfill my dream of going to college. I am so proud of Houston Can! Academy which is an excellent school for students with goals and I plan to graduate with commended performance. Respectfully, Jairo

October 8, 2010

Giving up should never be used in anyone's vocabulary because giving up should never be an option. I've had lots of struggles in my life and I almost let giving up control me but when you look back on all the passide opportunities in the life it makes you think twice. School has never been really hard for me but its just the way I chose to act, but that all changed when I started my school years here at Can Academy River Oaks.

I have attended this school for three years now and its been some of the most challenging years of my life. The teachers here want to see you be successful as long as you are willing to try. Furthermore there's just one person who always kept me in line, Mr. Tucker; he has made me look at things much more different. When I felt like giving up on school he kept me going. Even though we've had our ups and downs he has always been there for me helping, encouraging me to be a better person. I want to thank him for that.

Ravyn W.

From high school dropout to high school graduate, Ignacio is now on his way to become a Certified Nursing Assistant.

“Growing up I didn’t really have much. My mom is a single mother of two, I haven't seen my dad in 10 years, but she always tried her best to support us. She worked any and every job she could, like picking tomatoes until she was 7 months pregnant, then moving to a tractor position because her belly was too big to bend down. She has also held construction jobs in downtown Dallas.”

“I was usually home alone so I started to go to my friends for a sense of security that’s why I decided to join a gang. I just started following in my brothers footsteps. I started smoking a lot and doing reckless things.”

After struggling at his previous high school and lacking the sense of support that he craved from the administration, Ignacio decided to drop out. He worked at Dairy Queen for a year and even got offered a managerial position.

“Then one day I realized I didn’t want to disappoint my mom anymore. I didn’t want to do that for the rest of my life.”

“My mom came to this country as an immigrant and I wanted to show her that all her effort wasn't for nothing. That’s why I get up every day and try to do my best.”

So he followed in his brother’s footsteps again, this time for all the right reasons. His brother graduated from Texans Can Academies and his family recommended he do the same if he really wanted to turn his life around.

“Texans Can was my second chance. A second opportunity that you can’t take for granted. Although some people think of this school as a school for all the mess ups, it’s not. The people here are helping us get somewhere, to be someone in life. I’m not afraid to say that I’m from Texans Can.”

“The teachers and advisors here do the most to make sure I’m making the right choices.”

“My advisor Mrs. Randle would text me if I was late to school and even ask if I needed a ride. She’s always there for me trying to get me to school. Especially when I had surgery a month ago and I would be late because I had to go to therapy. She would tell me to go to the PM shift if I couldn't make it that morning.”

“My teacher Mr. Vasquez, even calls me his son. Another advisor Mrs. Machuca offered me two jobs and took me on college visits.”

“They’ve made such a big difference in my life and are always looking out for you. They’re the reason I come to school every day.”

Ignacio has always had a keen sense of ambition. He always knew what he wanted. When he found out about the CNA program offered at the Can Academies, he was eager to get his life back on track, to finally make his mom proud.

“My whole life I’ve always been a little science nerd. It came so naturally to me.”

“When I enrolled here I was actually too late to get in the anatomy class. So I just started reading on my own, about body systems and how they function. It never ceases to amaze me how such an intricate system works together to make up who we are. I’ve always wanted to work in the medical field.”

Ignacio will take his CNA certification in the spring and will be a first-generation college.

“I want to use the CNA program as a step towards my future career, as a foundation to my future. I just really like caring for people. I always think of others before myself.”

“I’m not proud of who I was before, but it’s brought me where I am today. I honestly would’ve never graduated high school if it wasn’t for the Can Academies.”

“I was making good money at DQ or thought I was. It was enough to get me by. I just never had anyone guide me to get to higher places. I’ve always had goals, but never knew how to achieve them.”

“The people here actually help me, they actually care about my life and where I go afterwards. I’ve never had that before.”

“I was 12-years-old when I had a knife put to my throat because I didn’t want to do things my boyfriend wanted me to do.

For years I was mentally and physically abused by him, I thought this was okay, this is what a normal relationship is like. I thought it was a healthy relationship, but reality isn’t always as good as it looks.”

Unfortunately, Janae’s discrepancies on the definition of healthy relationships stemmed from the home she grew up in.

“We live in a 2 bedroom apartment. I share a room with my sister and my other sister shares a room with my mom. At my house it’s nothing, but negativity all the way around. My family, there’s no support there. It’s dead, it’s a desert every day. There is no ‘how was your day or what did you learn today. There’s nothing. It’s just earphones in. You mind your business, go to sleep, and close the door, that’s it. It’s not a real family.”

Longing for the love and support she never knew, she became lost and confused.

“I dropped out of school. I ran away, I did drugs, and began to steal. I did that for 3 years, until one day I realized I needed to grow up the right way, not like my family. I have worked 3 jobs before and dealt with school. So it’s hard for me to sit there and study while being around people who don’t want to do anything with their life. It’s like how do you focus or concentrate when you’re in that type of environment? Even with your parents, they don’t want to see you grow because you’re growing faster than they ever have. Growing up my mom would always leave us with my grandmother. She was never there for me. She would even fight my daddy for never being there when she was never there either.”

Finally, after Janae realized her family would never change, she decided to embark on a new journey. She wanted to make something of her life, but she couldn’t return to her old school because she had lost all her credits.

Texans Can Academies became her second chance at life.

“People would say it’s for bad people, they steal, and smoke weed, but I learned so fast how wrong they are. From the second I walked in here, my advisors always looked after me. You always have people that care about you and want to see you grow. I never had anything like it in my old school or at home. Not one counselor tried to talk to me at my old school. I actually didn’t know who she was. Here it’s so different. I have multiple people. It’s just ears all wanting to listen and are always eager to see you grow. That’s exactly what happened. My whole mindset has grown. My mom would always say no one wants someone as dumb as a door knob. It was because I’m a little slower at catching on to things, but I never let it stop me. I keep asking questions until I learn it. Learning actually became so much easier with Marquez Reading [an innovative curriculum created by Richard Marquez, Texans Can President / CEO]. It was like I didn’t really know how to read before this school. It helps me so much. Even when I’m nervous and scared I’ll mess up on a word, I know how to figure it out now. Also, here you don’t have kids laughing at you when you mess up, they try to help you, unlike a regular school. At Texans Can we never tear each other down, we’re always here to help.”

As Janae continued to progress and soar through Texans Can, Miss Michelli, the assistant principal, told her about the Certified Nursing Assistant Program offered at the school.

“I was so nervous I wouldn’t get accepted, but I knew this was for me. When they first pulled me out of class to tell me I cried, I couldn’t stop crying. It was the first time I felt like I did something right. Then, my mom finally started to see the change in me and how much happier I am, but she continues to bring up my past as I’m trying to grow. So one day, this lady from church took me into her family to give me another outlet, so I wouldn’t be stuck in a negative space. She asks how I’m doing and even offers to pick me up, so I can get out of there. But I know I’m doing right, whether she likes it or not. Now I believe this isn’t my stopping point, it’s only the beginning. I tell my friends who sound like they want to come here it’s a great school. Although it’s only four hours, you do a lot of work. It’s hard, but we can do it. The teachers never let you down. Believe me when I say, no one at Texans Can will ever let you down. Some kids have kids and that’s okay. The staff here keeps motivating you no matter the situation. I can promise you it’s nothing like any other school. Friends and sometimes even family can only take you so far. If it’s nothing but negativity after that, where are you going? You just have to be willing to try new things, meet new people, the right people that will help you get somewhere in life like everyone here at Texans Can.”