These former dropouts are picking up their high school diplomas years later

PHILADELPHIA -- After dropping out of Dobbins Technical High School more than 25 years ago, Kevin Dean had an unfulfilled promise to his grandmother: to obtain a diploma.

Dean beamed with pride Thursday when he graduated from Goodwill’s Helms Academy and obtained his long-awaited diploma. He gave the commencement address and dedicated his achievement to his grandmother.

His only regret was that his grandmother, Carrie M. Dean, died in 2014 from breast cancer. His wife and daughter celebrated the moment with him.

“She’s looking down on me,” said Dean, 44, of Philadelphia. “She was my everything. She wanted this for me.”

Dean was among the 90 students from South Jersey and Philadelphia who graduated Thursday from the program, which helps older students obtain their high school diplomas. They earn them by passing a test or completing 30 college credits. Goodwill uses sales from donations at its retail stores to pay for the program.

Like Dean, the graduates left high school for personal reasons, hoping to possibly return later. Some said they dropped out when they became teen mothers, or they had financial problems or simply had little interest in school.

“I didn’t think I would really need it,” said Jaida Lopez Chandler, 17, of Cherry Hill. She left Cherry Hill West High her sophomore year.

Following in the footsteps of her older sister, Jasmyn, she enrolled in the Goodwill program. She plans to attend Rowan College of South Jersey and join the Navy to pursue a dream to become a veterinarian.

Named for Goodwill founder Edgar Helms, the academy provides free tuition as well as basic skills training, and tutoring. Students can attend classes virtually or at locations in Philadelphia and Stratford, Maple Shade, and Westampton, N.J.

“This is a great day for you,” Goodwill president and CEO Mark Boyd told the graduates before instructing them to shift their tassels to the left, officially marking their transition to graduates. It was Goodwill’s largest class.

In 2022, there were more than 2 million high school dropouts between the ages of 16 and 24, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. They are more likely to be unemployed, have low-paying jobs, or land in jail, experts say.

Wearing blue caps and gowns, the graduates solemnly marched into a second-floor ballroom at the Camden County Boathouse on the Cooper River in Pennsauken. Some graduates skipped the ceremony, partly out of embarrassment, officials say. This year’s graduates range from 16 to 60.

“It seemed like it was out of my reach,” said Joanne Conley, 44, of Lindenwold. “I wanted to prove to everybody who said I was never going to accomplish anything.”

Conley dropped out of Sterling High School in Stratford when she was 16 after falling behind. She worked odd jobs and took care of her younger siblings.

She started the Helms program in 2019, but health and personal problems set her back. Employed as a driver for Access Link, she believes the diploma may help her advance one day.

“This is the best thing I could have done for myself,” said Conley, a grandmother.

Meet some of the other graduates:

Kevin Dean: `With God all things are possible’

Raised by his grandmother, Kevin Dean grew up in North Philadelphia. She was a church-going woman who encouraged him to go, too, but he chose the streets.

Dean said he began selling drugs while attending Dobbins High. He met his future wife, Terika, in homeroom. She graduated in 2000, while he dropped out their junior year.

“I was running with the wrong crowd, just being young,” he recalled. “School wasn’t interesting.”

He started a commercial business, Kevin Dean Cleaning Service in 2013, but believed something was missing. He was inspired to get his diploma by his wife and his daughter, Kiara, who graduated from Community College of Philadelphia in 2023.

Dean received awards for most dedicated and most improved student. Thursday was his birthday.

“This is all God’s will,” he said in his remarks. “It’s not how long the journey takes. Don’t ever give up.”

Vanesa Fragoso: ‘I refused to be a statistic’

Vanesa Fragoso, 24, was kicked out of the Helms program several times when she fell behind. She had a tough time juggling working full-time at a car dealership and taking care of her young daughter.

She kept trying, mostly taking online classes, completing one subject at a time. Science was her favorite and she easily passed, but struggled with the math portion.

“I was determined to ride it through,” said Fragoso, of Audubon.

She dropped out of Audubon High School after becoming a mother at 15. She was an honor roll student, but had poor attendance, she said.

Fragoso was stunned to learn years later that her records were lost and she would have to start over. She wanted to be a role model for her daughter, Stella Rose, now 8.

She received the academy’s lifelong learning award.

“I refused to be a statistic,” she said. “I cried so hard when I finished. I’m so happy to finally have it.”

Justin Urbanchuk: ‘Only one life to live’

Justin Urbanchuk, 20, of Mount Ephraim, blames his decision to drop out of Audubon High School on laziness and anxiety — compounded by the pandemic.

He left school in the middle of the day or skipped it entirely. Eventually, he stopped going in 2022 in his junior year.

“It was something that was a hard decision and it definitely broke some of my family’s heart,” said Urbanchuk, who was selected to share his story at graduation.

Urbanchuk found his niche in the Helms program and overcame the anxiety that derailed him in high school. He received the highest overall score on the GED exam and the highest score in social studies.

“I just decided to get my life in order. Here I am,” he said.

Urbanchuk, who works at a Wawa in Runnemede, plans to enroll in Rowan College in September to study radiology technology.

“Anybody can do it,” he said. “You only have one life to live, don’t waste it.”