Car for Kids

Let me start with where I come from: My name is Jorge Garcia. I was raised in a bad neighborhood on the Eastside of Austin. My parents worked, so I was never taught by them. I hung out on the streets all day. My parents never made it out of elementary school. I would be the first one to have a high school diploma but I wasn’t interested.

Back at my other school my behavior and lack of attendance was a big problem and I thought I would never graduate. I used to skip class all the time and chill with my friends. I always got into trouble doing stupid stuff. I knew one day it would catch up to me. 

I got into trouble in school one day and was arrested. During court, I saw my mom cry my dad also told me that my girl was crying. It felt really bad knowing that I was hurting them both. I knew I had to straighten up but where to start? I was stuck. I felt like giving up and I didn’t know what to do. I would have been locked up for 4 years but the judge gave me a 2nd chance, 9 months of probation, wanting me to keep going to school was the first step.  

It was hard trying to find a school that accepted me. The school board of education kicked me out of the A.I.S.D. district. I couldn’t enroll anywhere, until I found Austin Can! Academy. Other than the judge, this school gave me a 2nd chance. It was like everything I needed to graduate. It gave me hope, the teachers are fun and can teach real good. They always help you and give you special attention when you need it, and it really helped me. With the help of my family, my girl and especially Austin Can! I am now a high school graduate!! The first in my family.

I Love Austin CAN! Academy.

Alexis graduated in June. She is now enrolled in Medvance, a technical school, where she is studying medical office administration. She will begin classes July 6th and plans to complete her studies in eight months to one year. She wants to get a job, gain some experience and income, then go back to school to be certified as a radiology technician and work in one of Houston’s hospitals. 

Alexis has been enrolled in Houston Can! since the 10th grade. She was frustrated in her previous large public school because of the class sizes and interruptions. Other kids were “class clowns” and disruptive in the classroom and often prevented the teachers from teaching. She wanted to learn and felt like her time was being wasted by the other students and teachers. She would get mad and say things to the teachers about their lack of classroom control, which got her in trouble. She said she had a lot of attitude problems with the situation that she should have handled better. Her attendance began to suffer. She would do her work, turn it in and leave class. She would go to all three lunch periods and miss class. Her grades were good but her attendance was very bad and she didn’t receive credits for the classes. 

A friend told her about the Can! and she decided to enroll. She liked the way the class sizes were small, classes were concentrated to core subjects and were half days. She struggled with math concepts since elementary school but the teachers at the Can! simplified the information and made it easy for her to understand. She passed the math portion of the TAKS test the first time she took it at Houston Can! 

Alexis was able to graduate on schedule for her age in spite of the lost credits from her previous high school. Growing up was not easy for Alexis. She said she was “tugged and pulled” in several directions from a young age. She had lots of anger issues. Her Dad worked three jobs to support the family so was not around much for guidance and leadership while she was growing up. She met her mom when she was 16. She has had to work to help support herself since she was 16 and is “pretty much on her own now.”

Though my life has balanced out now, it has not always been one that is comfortable.

I grew up in what many would call the ghetto. Not only were we poor, but we lived next door to the neighborhood drug house.

My name is Mario, I am 15-years-old, I’m currently a sophomore at Texans Can Academies and this is my story.

Having that house beside us, made a poor neighborhood, dangerous. I witnessed drive-by shootings, people being shot, drug overdoses and our house was robbed frequently.

As a kid, I could not even play outside because there were always guns. One time, I remember that during a police raid, they used a flash grenade and I was outside and it hurt my ears. My dad had to come get me and carry me inside. It was very painful.

Living next to a drug house gave me many opportunities to use drugs, but I had made the choice early on to never take anything. I had watched my brother go down that path and I saw how hard it made things for him. I knew that I wanted more for my life and that I could do better.

We eventually moved and I started high school at South Oak Cliff. I was doing well, but was struggling to pass the TSI test. My goal is to join the infantry directly after graduation and pursue a career in the military. I knew that I would need to pass the ASVAB for military entrance and if I was struggling to pass the TSI, the ASVAB would be even harder.

My sister, who also graduated from Texans Can, told me about the school and the focused help I would receive here. Now I am currently working hard to gain the knowledge needed to successfully pass the TSI so I can move forward. I am also working closely with my advisor and the career transition coordinator to get assistance with the ASVAB and will take it towards the end of my second year.

I came from the ghetto, but I will not remain in the ghetto.

Though my journey is just beginning I can already tell the difference in the students and staff at Texans Can. With the help from my teachers and others I will not only graduate, but I am set to graduate early.

I am excited for this and have big plans for myself, my life, and my service in the military. The support people give to Texans Can helps give hope and impacts the lives of kids just like me.

My name is Mario and I am set to be a Texan Can graduate in June 2019.

Unable to adequately satisfy the credit requirement set at her former high school, Brit’kne began listening. The same message kept coming, one of positive feedback surrounding Houston Can! Academy's success rates in helping students get back on track and earn their high school diploma. Washington enrolled at Houston Can! Academy in March 2007, and will be among the June 2008 graduating class. “If you are behind in your regular school and want to graduate on time, they will definitely make sure you graduate on time,” Washington explained. In fact, Houston Can! is somewhat of family affair for Washington. She has a brother in the 11th grade and a sister in the 12th, both graduating next January. While Washington gives praises on the academic program, she says wearing a uniform took a little getting used to. “That’s the only thing I didn’t like, but it’s a small sacrifice to make so I can get my diploma.” English, Math and Computer are among the 17-year old’s favorite subjects. She is looking forward to attending Texas Southern University’s Pharmacy Tech program, and ultimately wants to become an Anesthesiologist. “I became interested in the medical field because some of my family is in it. I know I have a lot of studying to do, but I’m up for the challenge,” adds Washington.

AJ Clemons is an Austin Can! student who will walk across the stage at the upcoming June Graduation Ceremony. “I was an A-B honor roll student throughout elementary and middle school. When I started high school the word “school” was not in my vocabulary. I was skipping class and I got into everything but the books. After a while I began to see myself stuck in the same pattern. The very same people I went to middle school with were walking the stage and I was left behind. I had to think long and hard about what I was going to do with my life. That was when I was introduced to Austin Can! Academy, where second chances are given. Most people in my shoes would have given up and dropped out but here I stand getting my high school diploma at the age of 22. None of my sisters or brothers graduated from high school. I am grateful and very happy to be the first. See, I know now, that high school is where adulthood begins. Austin Can! is where I learned new things, met great people, and began my new life. Now, I’m ready for college and look forward to a career in music and business management.”