DES MOINES, Iowa — 17 students graduated from the Starts Right Here educational program on Thursday in an emotional ceremony.
The graduation comes just months after two Starts Right Here students were killed in a shooting in January.
Founder Will Keeps was also injured in the shooting.
"These kids came back... they came back and the graduation is the legacy," Keeps said.
Keeps describes this class as resilient, especially as they heal from the recent tragedy.
"We did have a tragic situation happening here. but we didn't give up," Keeps said. "We didn't let that situation stop us at all. We even became even stronger after it."
Alesha Sellers is among the graduates. She shared that before starting the program, she didn't have a lot of motivation or believe in herself.
"I came here with three credits, and I was ready to give up, I was ready to just drop out," Sellers said.
Times got tough, and Sellers never thought she'd see the day she would smile, wearing a cap and gown.
"All the teachers, the staff... will encourage you and just keep you in the right mindset," Sellers said. "Even when you just don't want to be here or don't want to do the work."
Keeps is proud that through it all, these kids have finished what they started and proved they can persevere through difficult circumstances.
"To come here and to finish thinking in their mind that they was never going to finish, but to come here and then finish that show strength," Keeps said.
The program is only expected to improve. Keeps, alongside Gov. Kim Reynolds and Jack Hatch, the principal of Hatch Development Group, are looking into creating dorms for the students.