39. Finding the Hope and Motivation to Succeed in High School (and Life)

In this edition of Education Disruption, you’ll hear stories of success and challenge as told by Map students — a final capstone project before their high school graduation.

In this episode, we hear from Zay. Facing personal struggles with depression and substance use, he had trouble staying on track at his previous schools — he was getting suspended and expelled and says he was treated as a “delinquent.” At schools that were unable to help him heal and thrive, he was losing sight of his goals. But once he found his way to Map, Zay was set up with wraparound supports and pushed outside of his comfort zone, allowing him to succeed both academically and in life. “Map Academy actually ended up making graduation from high school possible, which I never thought that it would be,” he says. Now, post-graduation, Zay moved to New York to pursue his music career and has a scholarship to fall back on if his plans change.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Map Academy — a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

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