Seventeen seniors graduated from the Alternative Center for Excellence Tuesday after overcoming obstacles that included in some cases homelessness and full-time jobs.
ACE is an alternative high school for Danbury students who aren't succeeding at Danbury High School. Students set goals and the staff tries to help them reach their goals. One of the staff's goals and one they constantly remind students about is the goal of graduating high school. Each student spoke for a few minutes, and although they all ended with a happy graduation, their roads were rough.
"I wasn't focused. I cut school a lot. I didn't care about graduating," said Jessica Pacheco, who had a tough time starting high school. She won the 2013 Ace of Spades Award for hard work. "ACE gave me the power to control who I am. I learned to be a leader and not a follower."
Once the graduates had spoken, Ricardo Pacheco, Jessica's father, spoke.
"I want to tell the whole world how proud I am of her. They work so hard. They just want you to succeed," Ricardo Pacheco said.
Former Board of Education Chairwoman Gladys Cooper congratulated the graduates, and she said they already knew life wasn't easy. They know sometimes every person doesn't fit in everywhere.
"Every student can't make it at Danbury High School," Cooper said. "We know that and we respect that at ACE."
Graduate Michael Laurentus said the staff works to get the best from the students, to help students try hard and to come to school.
"I don't know what else to say, except, I love ACE," Laurentus said, and then he asked, "How Strong?"
"ACE Strong," the students and parents said.
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