Struggles are inevitable throughout the course of life, and unfortunately, high school students are not exempt from the trials and tribulations that threaten to derail their efforts. Once such student, Morgan Harbin, faced unimaginable circumstances during her freshman year that turned her world upside down and understandably altered her priorities away from her education.
Entering her second year of high school with only two credits, Morgan faced a crossroads: either wallow in her current situation or pick herself up by her bootstraps and decide to reach her full potential and graduate. Morgan remembers thinking about the changes she made over the past year with mixed emotions. “I consistently must push myself to do more ... especially when I fall behind. I have to remember to pause everything else and focus on what's important: my schoolwork. It's one of the hardest things to do because I’m not always motivated, but knowing I'm going to reach my long-term goals is worth it.”
Morgan's new mindset, coupled with a team of people supporting her at Winder-Barrow High School, led to a resounding success. She's earned every attempted credit since. Morgan's hard work and dedication are a true inspiration and testament to how anyone can overcome adversity through a shift in perspective and a few of the right people in your corner to cheer you on and hold you accountable.
Like anyone, Morgan has occasional small speed bumps in her journey, but she refuses to let them impact her success in all her classes. She has built confidence in her academic performance and has created a wonderful rapport with her teachers. Her math teacher, Mrs. Garrett, confirms Morgan's new attitude. “Morgan is a joy to have in class. She is quick to participate in a challenging Algebra 2 course and explains things to her group if they don't understand a concept. I can't wait to see what her future holds.”
We are incredibly proud of Morgan and can't wait to see her continued growth and academic progress over the next year. There will certainly be reason to celebrate when she moves on to the next chapter in her life as she pursues further education and a career in the medical field.
We are proud of our students who are 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.