In the past seven years, two Milwaukee high schools plagued with troubles common to many urban high schools, have seen dramatic improvements.  Meet a few of the students whose lives have taken a very different course since experiencing Success Highways.  (While the stories are true, the student's names have been changed to protect their privacy).

Joel

In middle school, Joel had a 4.0 grade point average, but as a 9th grader was now a failing student with noticeably poor hygiene.  During the Success Highways' classroom interactions, Joel was forced to address his grades and his goals, giving both the teacher and Joel insight into his current school performance which, in his case was related to home issues.

During participation in Success Highways, he testified that he began to feel connected to the school and saw that the teacher and fellow students really cared about him and his success.  He was able to create a Success Plan that focused on utilizing the school's support mechanism to his benefit.  In a short time, he has become a leader within the classroom and the school and significantly improved his grades and test scores.

Tarah

Although Tarah had a grade point average of less than 2.0 and described herself as "stupid," she was actually very intelligent and scored high on standardized testing.  Tarah came from an extremely disadvantaged home situation and dressed quite differently from the other students, which made her somewhat of a social outcast. She had little self-confidence.  Her participation in the Success Highways program gave her the opportunity to safely express herself, as well as to build the success skills necessary for her to overcome her situation.

Sarah has indicated that Success Highways was instrumental in her growth and achievement.   She became a top performing student, as well as more confident, focused and able to tackle her issues.  In addition, the in-classroom Success Highways group work allowed her to befriend two of the highest achieving students in her class, who she now uses as role models.

Jesse

Living in one of the most highly concentrated gang neighborhoods in Milwaukee, gangs were a way of life for Jesse.  His gang participation was a very negative factor in his academic growth.   His fellow gang members actually discouraged him from being a serious student, and he felt as if he would lose face if he put school as a priority over his social life.  In addition, he lacked the maturity to withstand the urge for immediate gratification, resulting in a terrible attendance and academic record.