The journey to obtaining a high school diploma as an adult is fraught with unique challenges. How can you balance studying while juggling a job and raising kids? How should you decide what career to pursue once you graduate? How do you set life goals and achieve them?
Recognizing the need for more than just academic support, Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake has integrated life coaching into the Baltimore Excel Center’s program, offering each student personalized guidance to navigate these difficult challenges.
Ashley Gaines-Seay, the lead life coach at the Baltimore Excel Center, serves as both a social worker and career advisor. She provides crucial support to students as they navigate obstacles throughout their academic path.
“For a lot of our students, the thing that held them back is that many of the people in their lives did not have that high school diploma themselves,” said Ashley. “These students are turning over a new leaf, and we see that in them. We want them to know that we see them for who they are, and that their past does not define them.”
The life coaches at the Excel Center do more than just guide students academically; they are mentors who help students envision and prepare for life beyond graduation. Whether a student’s path leads to higher education, vocational training, or straight into a career, the life coaches are there to map out a personalized route to success.
This tailored approach is key. If a student is interested in a career that requires a bachelor’s or master’s degree, their life coach steers them on a path toward higher education. If a student is more interested in a career where they’ll need specific technical knowledge and skills, the life coach lays out strategies to gain practical job training.
By acknowledging each student’s unique story, the Excel Center’s life coaches help foster an environment where individuals can break free from their past and pursue a successful future. Life coaches like Ashley are instrumental in this process, turning the Excel Center into a place for self-discovery, resilience, and new beginnings. Here, students don’t just earn diplomas; they reignite dreams and author new success stories.
