Many thought graduation day would not come soon enough while others weren’t sure if they would make it to this special day. On Thursday, June 12, nearly 70 students attending our charter school, School of Unlimited Learning or SOUL, stood before an energetic crowd, walked across the stage, shook their principal’s hand, took their diploma, and slowly moved their tassel from the right to the left of their cap indicating they were now high school graduates.

“Before coming to SOUL, some of our young adults could not visualize themselves graduating from high school, let alone attending college,” says SOUL’s Principal Dr. Mark Wilson. “Today, we have nearly seven dozen talented young men and women who are confident in their abilities and are ready to step into the ‘real world’. I am extremely proud of these students … for overcoming adversities that came their way and realizing their potential.”

SOUL is a public charter school that utilizes a unique and innovative approach to education, targeting high-risk students in 9 th through 12 th grade. Unlike traditional high schools, students at SOUL are provided with many individualized services, such as case management; tutoring; one-on-one career, academic, and personal counseling; and childcare services. The school offers a classroom-based and independent study program that serves more than 300 students each year. All students in the classroom-based program are provided free breakfast and lunch via EOC’s Food Services, as well as bus tokens to facilitate their transportation to and from school.

Congratulations graduates!