I lost interest in school at a young age. I was also dealing with mental health issues in my family. When I was fourteen I ran away from home. I was in eighth grade at the time. I learned the hard way that missing out on a high school experience not only robbed me of a healthy adolescent life but caused gaps in my education that took years to even partially fill. I don't want to see other students go down that same road. My hope is to connect youth with others who have their own dropout stories to share. Together we can be the change needed in schools today- to keep students encouraged to stay in school and complete graduation! I want to encourage others to share ideas, successes, resources and programs that promote student success. My recent book is about confronting this crisis and ways we can reach out to students before they drop out! I include several stories from students who have dropped out and regreted it. I hope to collect more stories that can encourage young people to keep moving forward and not give up on their education.

Susan