VALDOSTA — Nine students graduated from Coastal Plains Charter High School of Lowndes this week. 

Jasmine Ayers, Carmiela Brown, Leroy Donaldson, Belkin Garcia, Brandon Hagen, Michael Hart, Alexis Reynolds Tyquan Solomon and Kimberly Thomas were joined by Coastal Plains staff and their family and friends as they turned their tassels in Brooks Hall of Wiregrass Georgia Technical College.

Coastal Plains’ alternative teaching methods were the only way they could earn a high school diploma.

Hart, 19, works at a hotel. Coastal Plains made it easier for him to keep a job and attend school in the evening.

He hopes to earn a business degree where he can work his way up at his current job. With his newly earned high school diploma, he’s one step closer to that goal.

“It’s been a long, hard battle to get this done,” Hart said. “There were a lot of personal problems and other things that came in the way of me and my diploma. Now that I’ve finally gotten it done, it’s one of my greatest accomplishments in life.”

Thomas, 18, had to graduate one semester later than she originally intended.

Instead of giving up, she persisted at Coastal Plains. Now she has plans to attend Georgia Military College to obtain a business administration degree.

“I’ve been waiting to graduate for the longest, so I’m just lucky to have this (diploma) in my hand right now,” Thomas said. “I’m not going to stop here, though.”

Kelly Barcol of Valdosta was the commencement guest speaker.

He spoke on his educational experience and obstacles he faced — including the six years it took for him to get a college degree.

Despite all the challenges, Barcol is a high school and college-educated individual. He let the nine students graduating know they could do the same no matter their unique situations behind or ahead of them.

“You have to have faith in yourself, and it has to be bigger than fear,” Barcol said. “If your faith is bigger than fear, you’re going to overcome everything that comes your way.”

Coastal Plains is tuition-free for full-time students and is one way the Georgia Department of Education is fighting against the state’s high school dropout rates.

The Lowndes campus is located at the Parker Mathis Learning Center, 1500 Lankford Drive. Other campuses are in Camden, Candler, Glynn, Jeff Davis, Liberty, Long, Screven, Toombs and Wayne counties.

Katelyn Umholtz is a reporter with the Valdosta Daily Times. She can be contacted at (229)244-3400 ext. 1256.