Meet Camille, a recent graduate from a local high school who is on her way to making a great impact in the community. Camille’s journey has not been without its challenges, but with the support of Destination Graduation, powered by Orange County United Way, she is empowered to create a bright future for herself.
In 2012, Camille suffered a traumatic head injury during a softball game and was diagnosed with a serious concussive condition. Significant struggles emerged including trouble with focusing, reading and studying. “This straight-A student became a student that couldn’t even remember where she sat in class,” Camille said. But instead of surrendering to defeat, Camille picked herself up and was proactive with her recovery by joining the Destination Graduation program.
Destination Graduation is designed to engage, empower and inspire local at-risk youth through strategic educational partnerships. Administrators, teachers, parents and community volunteers at middle and high schools throughout the county are preparing students with the skills they need to be successful graduates, employees and citizens. Destination Graduation is just one example of our education initiative to bridge the academic achievement gap and support students like Camille so we can cut the local high school dropout rate in half by 2024.
The path is opening up for Camille nowadays. “In the future, I plan on attending Chapman University,” Camille said. “With the support of Destination Graduation, I was able to go from rock bottom back to the top.”
Learn more about Camille’s journey by watching this video:
