Grad stories: After hurdles and loss, Lakeview Alternative Ed graduate crosses finish line
Editors Note: The Battle Creek Enquirer is sharing the stories of area high school seniors to celebrate graduation season.
The path to graduation for Jamaria Price has been a winding one.
The 18-year-old was a stellar student-athlete while at Lakeview High School, earning A's and B's while contributing to the Spartans' track and field team before the pandemic stopped in-person learning, sending her and her peers into virtual classrooms.
Price says the isolation of remote learning and mental health issues that followed led her to fall behind in her school work. So she applied to enroll at Lakeview Alternative High School, a separate non-traditional school located at the district's administration building on Arbor Street.
"When I switched over, it was the best option for me to achieve the goals I wanted to achieve," Price said. "I want to stay with my friends, walk (at graduation) with my friends. But at the end of the day, I had to focus on me and what was best for me to succeed, and I had to learn how to create my own path instead of trying to follow the crowd."
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Price is one of 25 graduates of the Lakeview Alternative High School Class of 2022. After receiving her diploma, she'll enroll at Kellogg Community College, where she is a Legacy Scholar, planning to pursue a degree in nursing.
Price's mother, Andrenette Mitchell, died unexpectedly in January. Price credits the support and strength instilled from her late mother in obtaining her high school diploma, something she accomplished two weeks ahead of schedule.
"When she left, it was hard to do it on my own, but I was able to because I feel like she is still with me, and I have to live for her and make her proud," Price said. "That's what keeps me pushing every day."
Because of her success in the non-traditional classroom, Price was allowed to do some of the things she wanted to do at Lakeview, such as returning to the Spartan track team, captaining the school's step team and attending prom.
Lakeview Alternative High School teacher Kimberly Carroll said Price not only has persevered, but has served as a role model to her peers.
"She has a lot of friends and a lot of people that look up to her," Carroll said. "What an ambassador for kids who jumped off the regular path they were on and was able to regain her pathway towards success. She has everything lined up beautifully now... She's very special."
Contact reporter Nick Buckley at nbuckley@battlecreekenquirer.com or 296-966-0652. Follow him on Twitter:@NickJBuckley
This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: After hurdles, Lakeview Alternative grad crosses finish line
