HOULTON, Maine — An Aroostook County teen, determined to graduate from high school despite difficult challenges, graduated from the private, alternative Carleton Project on Tuesday afternoon.
Jacob Carmichael, 18, who dropped out of Houlton Middle High School a couple years ago, tried again and again to get into Carleton. But a lack of funding made it nearly impossible for him to attend the nonprofit school in downtown Houlton.
The Carleton Project helps students who have struggled in traditional public school settings with its individualized approach to learning. Unlike traditional four-year public schools, students work at their own pace, it might take some a month or two to graduate, and others several years. And the school intentionally keeps enrollment low, rarely surpassing 15, to make certain students get personalized support in achieving their academic goals.
“Jacob never gave up. Over the years, he kept coming by to check in and to ask again. And year after year, I had to say ‘no,’” said Lilly Haggerty, executive director, on Tuesday. “But he didn’t stop trying. That kind of determination is rare and it stayed with me.”
After many failed attempts, Carmichael walked into Haggerty’s office last year, more determined than ever, she said.
“He told me how badly he wanted his high school diploma,” Haggerty said.” “I knew in my heart I couldn’t say no again, even without funding.”
And that’s when a business man in Georgia donated three $10,000 scholarships to Carleton, offering Carmichael a second chance at his diploma.
James McBride, who grew up on a Littleton potato farm, first went to school at the Littleton Consolidated School, a one-room schoolhouse on his family’s property. He now lives in Savannah and decided last year to donate to the school after his sister, Carol Westerdahl, Carleton Project counselor, told him about the school.
On Tuesday, McBride was in Houlton to present Carmichael his diploma during the graduation ceremony.
“Always remember all of us here have taken an interest in you and will be watching you,” McBride said.
When Carmichael first came to Carleton last year he was far behind in his academic studies, and on Tuesday he said he’s surprised at how far he has progressed and he now plans on attending University of Maine at Presque Isle to study business and management.
“It’s incredible,” he said. “I was so far behind in credits in Houlton, but I just grinded it all out right here.”
The difference between the two schools for Carmichael was being able to learn what he needed but also what he was invested in, he said.
“Here they gave me the basic math and science and they let me choose what I wanted to work on,” he said. “The teachers here are always really enthusiastic about what we are learning.”
Brothers Jason Carmichael, Deven Campbell and his uncle, Keanen Lindsay, are also Carleton Project graduates, said Carmichael’s grandfather David Lindsay.
“Nobody’s going to do it for you, you have to do it for yourself,” said Lindsay. “He got it in his head, ‘I need to do this,’ and he put in the time.”
During the ceremony, Haggerty said that she first met Carmichael about four years ago when he came to visit his brother Jason, who graduated from the Carleton Project two years ago.
“Today I’d like to recognize a young man whose journey to this moment has been marked by perseverance, heart and an unshakable will,” she said.
Following the graduation ceremony, McBride said he was thrilled about Carmichael’s graduation.
He said he sits on a number of charitable boards, and it suddenly came to him when he was listening to his sister talk about all the challenges the school has and he thought to himself that he has given away a lot of money to help people for taxes and wondered why he hadn’t thought of donating to students before.
“Jabob’s story resonates with me,” he said. “I am sure there are more kids that could use that help. I plan to continue the gifting this year. It will be at least three and maybe more.”
Earlier this year, Dominic Campbell, Chandler Heatherington and Emily Plummer also graduated from the Carleton Project.
