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PITTSBURG —
Felicia Wahweotten joined a new family on Saturday. She is now and forever more a Pittsburg High School Purple Dragon.
Wahweotten was the last person to walk across the stage and receive her diploma during 2012 commencement exercises Saturday at PHS. It was a moment of triumph for her and the fulfillment of a dream.
Wahweotten, now 18, was placed in state custody at the age of 13. She had been moved around and attended several different schools, something that often makes it challenging for students in state custody to earn high school diplomas.
In August 2011, when she came to Elm Acres Youth and Family Services for the second time, she had earned only enough academic credits to qualify as a high school freshman.
Many people encouraged her to pursue a GED, but that just didn’t satisfy her.
“I wanted to shoot for a high school diploma so I could walk across the stage,” Wahweotten said.
She began her fall semester of school in the A+ program at Elm Acres, attending school three hours a day. She made good progress and her teacher, Jordan Woods, encouraged her to keep working hard and aim for attending full-day school in the second semester.
In January she was able to attend school at Elm Acres and PHS, completing 9.5 credits, equal to 19 courses, and her high school requirements by Feb. 24.
Wahweotten studied and did homework online and off-line six to seven hours a day, as well as another three to four hours after dinner each evening.
“None of it was easy,” she said, noting that she was living in a group home with 12 other girls. “There is so much going on while you are trying to concentrate, and I had to participate in group home activities.”
She said that PHS teachers were supportive, though her fellow students took a little time to warm up to her.
“They didn’t talk to me because they didn’t know me,” Wahweotten said. “Then they said they thought I looked mean and I said, ‘I’m not mean’.”
She left April 16 to enter an independent living program in the Topeka area, but returned to Pittsburg to collect her diploma. When someone asked her if the experience was as good as she’d hoped it would be, Wahweotten said that it was even better.
“I was even making friends standing in line out there,” she said.
In the course of her studies, Wahweotten found that she enjoyed science and especially loved learning about the human body.
Felicia Wahweotten joined a new family on Saturday. She is now and forever more a Pittsburg High School Purple Dragon.
Wahweotten was the last person to walk across the stage and receive her diploma during 2012 commencement exercises Saturday at PHS. It was a moment of triumph for her and the fulfillment of a dream.
Wahweotten, now 18, was placed in state custody at the age of 13. She had been moved around and attended several different schools, something that often makes it challenging for students in state custody to earn high school diplomas.
In August 2011, when she came to Elm Acres Youth and Family Services for the second time, she had earned only enough academic credits to qualify as a high school freshman.
Many people encouraged her to pursue a GED, but that just didn’t satisfy her.
“I wanted to shoot for a high school diploma so I could walk across the stage,” Wahweotten said.
She began her fall semester of school in the A+ program at Elm Acres, attending school three hours a day. She made good progress and her teacher, Jordan Woods, encouraged her to keep working hard and aim for attending full-day school in the second semester.
In January she was able to attend school at Elm Acres and PHS, completing 9.5 credits, equal to 19 courses, and her high school requirements by Feb. 24.
Wahweotten studied and did homework online and off-line six to seven hours a day, as well as another three to four hours after dinner each evening.
“None of it was easy,” she said, noting that she was living in a group home with 12 other girls. “There is so much going on while you are trying to concentrate, and I had to participate in group home activities.”
She said that PHS teachers were supportive, though her fellow students took a little time to warm up to her.
“They didn’t talk to me because they didn’t know me,” Wahweotten said. “Then they said they thought I looked mean and I said, ‘I’m not mean’.”
She left April 16 to enter an independent living program in the Topeka area, but returned to Pittsburg to collect her diploma. When someone asked her if the experience was as good as she’d hoped it would be, Wahweotten said that it was even better.
“I was even making friends standing in line out there,” she said.
In the course of her studies, Wahweotten found that she enjoyed science and especially loved learning about the human body.
“I want to major in radiology or pre-med,” she said.
She will have some help from a program called Kansas Kids @ Gear Up, a federally funded program administered in Kansas through Wichita State University.
“We help all kids, but especially those who otherwise might not see themselves going to college,” said Todd Biggs, a member of the Pittsburg USD 250 Board of Education who is active in the program. “We worked with Felicia, helped her learn about college and eventually we will help her pay for college.”
He said that he is proud and thrilled by Wahweotten’s success, and feels that she can be an inspiration to others.
“This is something every young lady at Elm Acres can hang their hat on,” Biggs said.
Wahweotten is proud, too, and looking forward to getting a good ACT score and eventually heading to college.
“I feel like I came from nothing, and now I’m at the top of the world,” she said.
