CINCINNATI (WXIX) – Nearly 100 Hamilton County foster children were celebrated Thursday for earning their high school diplomas, and this year was a record breaker.
Job and Family Services celebrated the agency's largest-ever class and honored the teens in foster care who earned their diplomas.
“We're just really proud of them, you know, overcoming the odds and really using all of the things they've been through as strengths,†Anastacia Isaacs, an education specialist, said.
The agency has held this event for 27 years.
“I got my diploma, I started jumping up and down and screaming,†Tamarius Berry, a graduate, said.
And the team behind them said the numbers show it.
“We have the highest rate of graduation this year. In the 90s, the national average was only 70. The Ohio average is 60, so it's a pretty big deal,†Isaacs said.
Isaacs said it takes the full support of the education specialist, caseworkers and caregivers to stay on top of meetings, grades and the day-to-day motivation.
“We attend all of their school meetings, we meet with them when they need a little bit of motivation about getting to class or getting their work done and we make sure they have everything they need,†she said.
The 16-year-old Berry is one of more than ten teens early graduates.
“I didn't think I would graduate, honestly, cause, like, my credits were low and I was kinda struggling,†he said.
Now he's already looking ahead toward attending the University of Cincinnati.
“First, do an undergrad in psychology and either do a master's in mental health counseling or a PhD in clinical psychology. One of those,†Berry said.
And his mom said watching him push through and finish early still doesn't feel real.
“He was like this year, ima get this done ima get some extra classes so I can finish early, and I was like ‘OK,' but when he did it, I was shocked myself, so yeah, I'm so proud of him,†Tamara Berry, Tamarius's mother, said.
For the grads, Thursday was more than just a ceremony; it was proof they can rewrite their story.
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