The school year was only a month old, but Carly hadn’t gone to school in weeks. Her mother found out when notice came referring her daughter to Truancy Court.
At first glance it was a baffling story. She had always been a good student with all signs pointing to a bright future. In Truancy Court, she explained that this was her first year in a new school and she had immediately been confronted with bullying and harassment from students. She chose not to return.
The court ordered her to return to the previous school for 30 days, offering her temporary relief from the bullying while she and her mother sought a more acceptable school situation. But Carly saw few acceptable options and planned to appease the court and then get her GED and enter the workforce as soon as possible.
But, as a part of the Future Track program, a Reach for Youth truancy specialist gave Carly’s mother the names and contacts of several alternative educational programs in the area hoping they could still accept new students. Reach for Youth prepared Carly’s mother with questions to ask of the programs while counseling Carly about her career goals.
Reach for Youth reminded Carly of her strengths as a student and encouraged the client to not settle for what was easy but to take up the challenge of completing high school and aim for college and a great career to follow.
Carly was accepted into a college preparatory charter school which bolstered her new outlook on school and the future. Her attendance has been perfect and she eagerly caught up on her credits.
Carly’s mother was greatly relieved:
"I am so thankful for the help I received from the Reach for Youth Future Track program! Before this program, my daughter had kind of given up. She had few school credits and had planned to get her GED and start work in a low paying job.
She now has a whole new perspective. She loves her school and she wants to complete high school, go on to college and be a nurse. She has an excitement about her future that I’ve never seen from her. Thank you so much!"