GHS students graduate from WINGS program

Gatesville High School recently hosted a special graduation ceremony for seniors who did not graduate last year but decided to come back and participate in a new program in order to receive their diplomas. Scott Harper, the Executive Director of Operations and Student Services, said the new program was designed to fill in gaps created by the pandemic, remote learning, and barriers to accessing traditional school.

“With Intentional Navigation to Graduate Successfully (WINGS), qualifying students can recover credits and earn their high school diplomas to ensure more opportunities for future learning and wage-earning potential,” Harper said.

According to Harper, the WINGS program is staffed with certified teachers and administered by Clayton Floyd, Joyce Cole and Christa Hitt who comprise the Gatesville ISD School-Community Guidance Center. The Guidance Center monitors the WINGS students’ attendance, credits, and next steps toward their brighter future. Gatesville ISD’s guiding purpose behind WINGS is to assist at-risk students to graduate from high school with a diploma. The program helps meet the challenges students may face who would otherwise drop out of school.

“Last year I think we had 26 (students) that didn’t graduate. We have recovered these six and have 10 more. We hunted them down. I went on the streets and pulled them in. We have 10 more working in the building right now and we have five on the waiting list. We only have 10 seats, so we have to wait until someone graduates,” said social worker Joyce Cole.

Cole understands the circumstances that some of the students have experienced and often offers them words of encouragement. “These students should have graduated last year. Basically, COVID just took them out and they didn’t come back. They all have potential, and they must find it and use it. What I tell these kids, ‘Just don’t quit,’ just take what you can and keep going on and just say I’m never going to stop until I get it,” Cole said.

Gatesville High School principal Marie Barrows spoke words of praise regarding the recent graduates. “They (the graduating WINGS students) wanted to be here, they had to overcome everything and I’m very proud of them. Hard work pays off.”

During the graduation ceremony and reception, a large number of family members and friends were on hand to congratulate the students on their recent achievement. During the opening ceremony, Gatesville ISD superintendent, Dr. Barrett Pollard said “These guys knew the importance of graduating. They wanted to get that diploma, so they persevered through a lot, worked hard, and got caught up, and now they’re going to have a high school diploma.”

The students participating in the graduation ceremony included Matt Gibson, Alexis Scott, Angie Gomez, and Erica Torres. Each student was given the opportunity to honor a person that influenced and encouraged them along the way. Each student expressed gratitude to former teachers, counselors, principals, coaches, and family members.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the very first WINGS graduate, Matt Gibson, expressed his thoughts. “I’m glad to be here and I’m glad I was able to achieve all of this. I’m glad to have had the opportunity to get my diploma.”