A graduation ceremony was held for teens at risk who overcame adversity and hardship

They have faced hardships such as homelessness, mental illness and becoming a young parent, but they were honored at St Lawrence the Martyr Church in Hamilton.

They attended Notre Dame house, and Regina’s place schools run by the good Shepherd center in partnership with the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic school board.

Offering alternative education programs and a place for young moms to live. Blair Whiteside left high school when she became pregnant and then had to leave her home due to domestic violence.

She went back to school to set a good example for her daughter. Kendra Baverstock dropped out in grade eleven but now she’s the valedictorian for Regina’s place. She says she tried to go back and get her diploma in the past but wasn’t able to finish until she became a mom and found the school.

A hundred students have graduated from Good Shepherd’s alternative education programs since they began in 2001. It’s a legacy of education that aims at attacking poverty and helping young people find their place in the community.