As told by Shannon Bidlo, Seniors Plus Coordinator
“Aaron started with West40 as a student at our Safe Schools Middle School. He entered the Advocacy Program when he began attending Morton West High School. Aaron’s academics slipped over the years and, ultimately, he dropped out.
But then we convinced Aaron to come back and try our Seniors Plus Program. It gives kids who are short on credits the chance to finally graduate. Aaron struggled with attendance at first, but we never let him give up. We consistently reached out to him and encouraged him to give it another try.
One morning, he called us and said he was ready to recommit to the program immediately. In a tragic turn, he was hit by a car on the way to school. We didn’t know if he was going to survive, let alone finish high school. The West40 staff visited Aaron in the hospital and supported him however we could.
A month after his accident, Aaron returned to school and never looked back, hardly missing a day except for physical therapy appointments. As Aaron graduated, he thanked us all for not giving up on him and for believing in him from the start. We were able to stand by him during his toughest time. His courage and strength still inspire us.”
“I NEVER THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO FINISH HIGH SCHOOL, UNTIL SENIORS PLUS CAME ALONG.” - Aaron, student at Morton West High School
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