GASTONIA, N.C. — A Gaston County organization is helping students get ahead by preparing them for college long before they graduate high school.
The Dream Center Academy recently celebrated its first graduating class at the Gaston Country Club. The students and their families celebrated a huge milestone last week as the organization's first group of graduates.
“They helped me with my hard and soft skills especially what I want to major in," Elisha Grant said. "It helped me with math."
Grant started attending Dream Center Academy in sixth grade. Like many of her peers, Grant prepared for life after high school thanks to the center's diverse mix of teachers and students.
“Through all the different people who have been in and out of the Dream Center I’ve learned about myself and also a lot of skills for the future,” Hunter Huss senior Kenedi Armstrong shared.
Dream Center Academy says 100% of its 20 seniors in 2024 will graduate college-career ready. The academy touted its graduates, saying 85% of its seniors will be first-generation college students.
“I came into the program wanting to be a teacher," Armstrong said. "That very first dinner transitioning from fifth to six grade on my paper I wrote I wanted to be teacher."
Dream Center Academy opened its doors in 2017 to fill the gap for Gaston County students. The academy's ultimate goal is to prepare students for college or their careers. Their mission is to empower students by developing their academic and social skills.
“I think academically it prepared me," Xochitl Rivera-Luna said. "What I think the Dream Center does for me is working on my social skills and networking."
Of the academy's 20 seniors, 18 are going to college. The other two will enroll in trade school. Those schools include many of the biggest universities in North Carolina, including UNC-Chapel Hill, N.C. State, North Carolina A&T, UNC Greensboro, UNC Charlotte, Western Carolina, North Carolina Central and Gaston College
As the families celebrate graduation, the students are focused on their next step.
“Honestly, I’m ready to meet new people and explore the culture they have,” Grant said.
Contact Nick Sturdivant at nsturdiva1@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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