Benefits of a high school diploma

Do you know the benefits of a high school diploma? It seems fairly obvious, yet there are a handful of students who struggle in school and would rather take the option of giving up or opting for a G.E.D. It is a discussion we often have with some of our students as we try to encourage them to get back in the fight and complete high school. This may be a difficult task for some as they are faced with overwhelming depression and anxiety, not to mention a core belief that they are “not good enough.”

A few of the benefits are:

  • High school graduates are less likely than high school dropouts to be unemployed, live in poverty, have poor health or have children who will also live in poverty.
  • A high school graduate makes at least half a million dollars more in lifetime earnings than a dropout and is three times less likely to live in poverty.
  • High school graduates are less likely to engage in criminal behavior. Dropouts are up to six times more likely than high school graduates to report ever having been arrested.
  • Graduating half of one class of dropouts would save U.S. taxpayers $45 billion in that year.

Benefits of High School Completion

Discovery Academy High School Graduation

While our program is a residential treatment center - and we do focus strongly on recovery and healing, that also includes progressing academically for our students as well. We feel that if the student starts down the right path of recovery, that they will also start to see improvements in self-esteem, their attitude, and their ability to do better academically. Our academic program and transcripts are all from our sister program Discovery Academy, which allows us to work at a more individual pace with each of our students.We have an amazing team of teachers who really go above and beyond to help our students succeed.

This week one of our students was able to graduate from high school, after completing all the requirements. It was celebrated with his family, our Academic Director, Cindy Lindsay, Executive Director Shawn Brooks, therapist, Kevin Walker, Equine Director, Tony North, many of other dedicated staff, and his peers who are working towards the same goal.

Overall, it was an awesome experience for this young man to have reached such an important milestone in his life. We are proud and privileged to support our boys through their recovery of healing both emotionally and mentally.