Nakaya Domina had been disengaging from school for years before she left Cimarron-Memorial High School in Las Vegas in 2019.
鈥淚 was doing horribly, because I was never in class: Ds and Fs鈥擨 think I had one C in a class,鈥� said Domina, 18. 鈥淚 just was too concerned about making more friends than focusing on my schoolwork. Like, I would go ditch class to go hang out with my friends, or I would just completely blow off all the teachers. I was just really concerned with getting the whole high school experience of the Friday night football games and finding a prom date and all that stuff that you really shouldn鈥檛 be worrying about.鈥�
Discipline issues with some of those friends led Domina to leave school completely for six months in the first half of 2019.
Domina started at an academic recovery program in Clark County, Nev., called Acceleration Academy online, just as the rest of the district moved into quarantine in 2020. While she said she liked the flexibility of being online, disconnecting socially made it tough to stay motivated while making up more than 20 credits.
鈥淚 have [attention deficit disorder] and I kind of need people around me doing work,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 just be by myself in a room, 鈥榗ause then I鈥檒l freak out and be like, 鈥極h my God, I鈥檓 falling behind,鈥� or 鈥業鈥檓 going too fast鈥�, or I鈥檒l just think I鈥檓 doing something wrong.鈥�
鈥淭he most challenging part was trying to learn how to change from focusing all my time on making friends and putting all that time into studies. I would not do schoolwork for a couple days 鈥榗ause I was so upset. I鈥檇 go on Instagram and see them out partying. I鈥檓 like, I could be with them right now, but instead I鈥檓 over here doing school,鈥� Domina said. 鈥淚 was really angry at everything.鈥�
Domina began to regain her momentum with the help of her 鈥済raduation candidate advocate"鈥攁n individual mentor who got her back on campus for full-day classes three days a week.
鈥淲e had a lot of long talks when I鈥檇 go to campus,鈥� Domina said. 鈥淎nd she was like, 鈥楪irl, you better get your head on straight. Here鈥檚 what I did when I was younger and here鈥檚 what you鈥檙e doing; I want you to go in the other direction.鈥� She knew when I was goofing off and not doing anything and she called me out.鈥�
Clark County鈥檚 is the largest dropout recovery program in Acceleration鈥檚 seven-state network, with about 1,300 students this fall. Margaret Sharp, the chief education officer for the nonprofit Acceleration Academies, said students need mentors who can help them think beyond graduation.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a huge dropout population out there, with a really big district and 鈥� a unique area for programming because of the casinos,鈥� Sharp said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the city that doesn鈥檛 sleep and kids that drop out can go and work parking cars and make $60,000 a year. So the value proposition has to be broader, to help kids see why that kind of job might sound good when you鈥檙e 18 years old, but eventually it鈥檚 not going to lead to long-term financial security without a high school diploma.鈥�
To keep Domina thinking long-term, the school connected her to a local company willing to pay her to become certified in digital marketing analysis after she graduated this August.
To re-engage students who have dropped out during the pandemic, Domina said, schools need to offer more mental health and other social supports, rather than only focusing on academic credit recovery.
鈥淗elp the kids get more psychological help鈥攁 counselor or a psychiatrist at school or at least have someone to turn the kids towards, so they鈥檙e not stuck in their head, going crazy,鈥� she said.
At Acceleration, by contrast, 鈥測ou just reach out and say, 鈥楬ey, I鈥檓 going through a rough time. I need some help here.鈥� And they鈥檙e right away like, 鈥極K, well, here鈥檚 the programs we have. We鈥檒l call them and tell them to reach out to you.鈥欌��
