Grad Track Spotlight: Caleb Kutzberger

Caleb Kutzberger is a third-year transfer student who attends Winder-Barrow High School. After two years of high school classes, he had successfully earned 3.5 credits. Caleb moved from a tough situation in Louisville, KY to live with his mother and stepfather in Winder. He had not had a great relationship with academia prior to this year, as he often found himself skipping school to play basketball, sleeping in class, and avoiding interaction with his teachers.

After a conversation with Graduation Specialist Alyson Cramer about what the future looked like and his career goal of being a welder, it became apparent to Caleb he was a perfect fit for Option B. Working in conjunction with his counselor, Academic Interventionist, and parents, Mrs. Cramer and Caleb crafted a clear plan for an on-time graduation. Since then, Caleb has come to a very mature realization. “Something clicked that I was extremely immature the first couple years of high school, and I need to grow up if I’m going to graduate,” Caleb explained.

Throughout this semester, Caleb has already recovered one credit within the school's credit recovery program, and he is on pace to recover a second credit in the same semester! There have been some bumps along the road this year, but he has continued to buckle down and work hard to reach his goal - instead of shutting down and quitting when faced with adversity. He knows he has an entire team in his corner monitoring him, encouraging him to keep going, and supporting him when things get tough. Mr. Bradley, Caleb’s Academic Interventionist, has been very impressed with Caleb’s transformation. “When I first met Caleb, our casual conversations were usually limited to the Golden State Warriors. But as I’ve had the pleasure to get to know him better, I’ve discovered Caleb is a deep thinker, a conscientious student, and an eternal optimist. Once he wrapped his mind around the possibility of graduating, there’s been no stopping him.”

By the end of this semester, Caleb will have more than doubled his overall credit count from the previous two years. He is actively working to pass all needed academic credits required by the Option B diploma, will be enrolling at Lanier Technical College in the Spring to begin welding classes, and will walk across the 50-yard line with his classmates in May 2024.

To Alyson Cramer, Caleb’s progress is not surprising. “Every student has within them the motivation, ability, and work ethic to achieve success. And as the saying goes, ‘sometimes it takes a village’ to help them realize their true potential. Caleb is a wonderful young man who made it so easy for our awesome support team here at WBHS to help light his path,” Cramer beams.

We are proud of Caleb and his journey on the “Grad Track.” A Grad Track student has either failed one or more academic classes and/or is behind in credits needed for graduation with their cohort class. Graduation Specialists at all three Barrow County School System (BCSS) high schools support students who meet these qualifications.