Graduation Highway

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See a door-to-door effort by Phoenix mayor Greg Stanton and professional athletes to get dropouts to go back to school in an project called “Graduation Highway”.

JOSE: IN 2012, PHOENIX HAD THE HIGHEST DROPOUT RATE IN THE COUNTRY. TODAY IT SITS AT ABOUT TWENTY PERCENT, WHICH IS BELOW THE NATIONAL AVERAGE. PRODUCER SHANA FISCHER AND PHOTOGRAPHER ROB MCJANNETT INTRODUCES US TO THE GRADUATION HIGHWAY PROGRAM WHICH IS DESIGNED TO GET KIDS BACK ON THE PATH TO SUCCESS.

SHANA FISCHER: THIS IS MORE THAN JUST AN ART CLASS FOR MAGALY SANTILIAN AND HER FELLOW STUDENTS. IT IS A SECOND CHANCE. TWO YEARS AGO, MAGALY DROPPED OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL AND HER MOTHER SUGGESTED SHE RETURN BUT SHE FOUND HERSELF FACING A CHALLENGE.

MAGALY SANTILIAN: I GOT PREGNANT AND I WANTED TO GIVE UP. I FELT EMBARRASSED. I DIDN'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING. IT'S NOT SOMETHING I REALLY WANTED.
SHANA FISCHER: MAGALY KNEW IT WOULD BE TOUGH GOING TO HIGH SCHOOL AND CARING FOR HER DAUGHTER. BUT SHE FOUND A SCHOOL THAT WAS GEARED TOWARD HELPING STUDENTS THAT NEED A SPECIAL SCHEDULE OR LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. THE ACADEMY IS ONE OF THE WAYS THE PHOENIX DISTRICT IS COMBATING THE DROP OUT RATE AND IT IS WORKING. DISTRICT LEADERS SAY THEY HAVE AN 80% GRADUATION RATE WHICH IS ON PAR WITH THE NATIONAL AVERAGE. THE DITRICT ALSO HAS OUTREACH SPECIALISTS THAT GO DOOR TO DOOR TO TALK TO STUDENTS WHO HAVE DROPPED OUT AND TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO RETURN. TODAY THE SPECIALISTS ARE GETTING A HELPING HAND FROM MAYOR GREG STANTON AND CITY LEADERS.

GREG STANTON: IF THE HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT RATE IS TOO HIGH, IT HURTS US ECONOMICALLY. IF WE CANNOT IMPROVE THE RATES, WE CANNOT GET AHEAD.

SHANA FISCHER: JOINING THE MAYOR IS FORMER PHOENIX SUNS PLAYER STEVEN HUNTER WHO IS NOW A COMMUNITY AMBASSADOR FOR THE TEAM.

STEVEN HUNTER: THERE WAS ALWAYS ACCOUNTABILITY IN MY HOUSE. YOU HAD TO GET YOUR HOMEWORK DONE BEFORE YOU EARNED THE RIGHT TO PLAY BASKETBALL. THERE WAS ALWAYS RULES AND REGULATIONS. SO THAT REALLY HELPED ME IN LIFE.

SHANA FISCHER: AFTER VISITING SEVERAL HOMES, THE MAYOR AND HUNTER FIND A FAMILY THEY CAN HELP. THIS MAN'S YOUNGEST SON HAD TO DROP OUT TO WORK. SO THE MAYOR AND HUNTER TEAM UP TO CONVINCE HIM TO TRY ONLINE SCHOOLING.

GREG STANTON: WE HAVE TO GET YOU SIGNED UP FOR HIGH SCHOOL SHOW YOU CAN MOVE ON TO HIGHER EDUCATION, COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY AND MOVE ON WITH YOUR LIFE AND CAREER. YOU GOT TO FINISH HIGH SCHOOL.

STEVEN HUNTER: I WANT TO JUST FINISH UP HIGH SCHOOL. RIGHT NOW, IT IS A SHORT TERM DECISION NOT TO GO TO SCHOOL BUT IN THE LONG RUN HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA IS GOING TO HELP YOU.

SHANA FISCHER: WHILE HE MAY BE MAYOR, STANTON SAID HE CAN RELATE.

GREG STANTON: I GREW UP IN A WORKING CLASS FAMILY AND WE DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF MONEY. MY DAD SOLD SHOES AT JC PENNEY. I WAS LUCKY TO BE BORN INTO A FAMLY WHERE MY PARENTS STRESSED EDUCATION AND I WENT ON TO GRADUATE FROM LAW SCHOOL AND COME BACK AND BE ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY. MY UPBRINGING UP SIMILAR FOR MANY KIDS THROUGHOUT PHOENIX. I TELL THEM I WAS YOU. THE DECISIONS AND CHALLENGES YOU MAKING IS THE DECISIONS I WAS FACED WITH YEARS AGO.

SHANA FISCHER: STUDENTS WHO DROP OUT COST THE CITY AS WELL. THE MAYOR SAYS AS MUCH AS $7 BILLION A YEAR. STUDIES SHOW A STUDENT WHO DOESN'T HAVE A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA WILL EARN UP TO 400,000 LESS COMPARED TO HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES AND THAT NUMBER TRIPLES FOR COLLEGE GRADUATES. STUDENT DROP OUT FOR CIRCUMSTANCES LIKE SUPPORTING THEIR FAMILY OR DON'T HAVE TRANSPORTATION. STEVEN HUNTER SAID THAT IS WHY EVENTS LIKE THIS ARE SO CRUCIAL.

STEVEN HUNTER: I WANT TO RELATE TO THEM THAT EDUCATION IS THE FOUNDATION OF IT ALL. YOU NEED YOUR HIGH SCHOOL DEGREE. DON'T LET A SMALL PROBLEM AFFECT YOUR FUTURE.

SHANA FISCHER: IT IS A SENTIMENT MAGALY ECHOES THAT THROUGH DETERMINATION OF WHAT WAS ONCE A DREAM IS NOW A BRIGHT AND LIMITLESS FUTURE.

MAGALY SANTILIAN: MY MOTIVATION IS MY DAUGHTER. I KNOW I AM GOING TO MAKE PEOPLE PROUD ESPECIALLY MY DAUGHTER. I AM SO INSECURE ABOUT MYSELF SO I KNOW I COULD DO SOMETHING REALLY GOOD. IT MAKES ME FEEL REALLY PROUD OF MYSELF.

JOSE: MAGALY WANTS TO ATTEND COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND THEN A UNIVERSITY TO STUDY CHILD PSYCHOLOGY. STEVEN HUNTER TOLD US THAT HE ENJOYED SCHOOL AND IF HE HADN'T MADE IT TO THE N-B-A, HE WOULD'VE LOVED TO HAVE BEEN AN F-B-I AGENT.

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