The first and only graduate so far of the Excel Center Adult High School at Melrose Plaza is Brittany Mills, 19 years after a car accident led to her not finishing. Now Mills has earned her diploma and a dental assistant certification. There are 14,000 adults in the Roanoke Valley without a high school diploma according to the Excel Center. “The support services offered through The Excel Center remove barriers that often keep adults from returning to school,” said Kelley Weems, senior director of community impact at Goodwill Industries of the Valleys. “Brittany’s story shows what’s possible when those barriers are removed. Access to education doesn’t just help someone earn a diploma. It opens the door to new opportunities and a brighter future.”
Operated by Goodwill Industries of the Valleys, The Excel Center is Virginia’s first public adult high school. The tuition-free school provides flexible scheduling, life coaching, transportation assistance and free childcare so adult learners can pursue their education while balancing work and family responsibilities. Mills is continuing her education to pursue a career in dental hygiene.
