“The people at IMPACCT changed my life.”
When he was eleven, Paul’s father showed him how to weld.
Standing in the garage, he lifted the cover off the machine and explained how to join pieces of metal together using a flame.
In that moment, Paul knew he wanted to be a welder.
At the time he was struggling in sixth grade. He’d been suspended several times. He felt trapped in a cycle of bullying and discipline.
High school brought its own set of challenges.
A hands-on learner, Paul had trouble making it through many of the courses, especially English. The social landscape was difficult for him to decipher, and making friends was hard.
At the beginning of senior year, the Vice Principal called Paul into her office. She explained he didn’t have enough credits to graduate. She suggested he try a program called IMPACCT.
Run through Granite State Independent Living, IMPACCT provides high school kids with the scaffolding they need to graduate.
Small class sizes.
Academic coaching.
Creative curriculums.
Paul was unsure at first. In his own words, he felt done with school. He doubted he could turn years of disappointment and doubt into a diploma.
But he did just that.
He attended classes right in his own high school. He learned how to stop procrastinating and get his work done. Through engaging games and activities, his coaches tapped into a side of Paul he didn’t know he had.
As with many kids who have a hard time in high school, he was balanced on the precipice of giving up or getting through. With the help of IMPACCT, he did what once felt impossible. He graduated.
IMPACCT also helped him keep the flame of his childhood dream alight—the very dream that started one afternoon in his father’s garage.
At eighteen, Paul is now enrolled in White Mountains Community College’s welding program.
“The people at IMPACCT changed my life.”
