​Excerpts from the speech that Nubia gave at the DLC Teen Career Academy's 2011 Graduation Ceremony: 

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We all have stories to tell, and I’m honored to be able to share mine with all of you.

I was always a good student and was a very outgoing and strong-minded person. I had plans to finish high school, go to college, and be a cosmetologist. But, all of that changed when I had a baby at the age of 15. My attitude completely changed for the worse, and I dropped out of high school the 11th grade . . . . I became weak-minded and easily influenced and didn’t know which way to go.

My family support gave me the motivation and strength to go back to school . . . . Soon, I got kicked out. That’s when I heard about TCA and all of the pieces of my puzzle came together to form a clear picture for me.

TCA made me see how important my education is and that I am capable of learning. I didn’t know how good I was in certain subjects like math.
Mr. Malcom always pushed me at times when I thought I couldn’t do it. He was very understanding and helpful even when it came to non-school-related problems . . . . Thank you all for keeping me motivated.

My journey to this point may not have been an easy one, and there’s still so much about it I don’t understand, but I do know that . . . obstacles don’t have to completely eliminate our dreams and goals, they just make our approach to them different.

Today is the day we take our dreams to another level, a level where you’re in control of your destiny . . . . Now, it’s time for us to begin a new chapter of our lives. This is our moment, our day, and our time to shine.