Meet Elijah Bixby…
Elijah with his pet mouse and his piano.
Elijah Bixby found a new way of reaching a goal that helped him learn more about himself and move onward without skipping a beat. Even though his family split up when he was in second grade, Elijah still had a very supportive upbringing in Ceres, California with plans to finish school just like any other child. However, by seventh grade and with his motivation at an all-time low, his normal days of school ended.
Elijah said, “I was an outcast at school. One day I was walking out of class when a guy ran up, punched me in the face, and chased me down the halls. I was always told as a kid not to be violent, so I am super pacifistic. After that, I was still trying to do good in school, but because the kid got suspended his friends decided it was my fault and were going to jump me. At that point, I was pulled out. I was always taught to try my best in school, but there was a long while where I stopped caring because of all the pressures I had.”
“Just keep going at it. It can be really rough at times and feel almost impossible, you just have to give it your all no matter how difficult it may see.” – Elijah Bixby, 2020 Grad
Elijah enrolled in online classes at Connections Academy until he was in 11th grade. He found a supportive group of friends that helped him find the confidence to take another shot. He said, “ I was able to grow more and because of that, I wanted to finish off my education at a real high school – so I went back! Unfortunately, it was at the beginning of 2020 when COVID happened so it didn’t last for long.” Elijah found out that the credits transferred weren’t enough to earn his diploma which would mean taking even more time to graduate. In fear of being left behind as a “Super Senior” he came across another option.
A friend’s father mentioned a GED as another way of finishing high school and, after speaking with his mother about it, learned that a family friend had success at LearningQuest. Elijah said, “I didn’t really know what to expect to be honest, I just knew this was a different method of getting my education and I really enjoyed it.” Already in the school routine and motivated to work hard, Elijah started LearningQuest classes at the end of July 2020 and in only three short months earned his diploma!
Elijah smiling for a picture with his mom and two sisters.
With plans to begin classes at Modesto Junior College in the Spring of 2021, Elijah is considering studying Music or Psychology, “I am just really interested in the idea of helping people. I think having the resources there is important. I know it really helped me a lot so I want to be there to help other people. I plan to start applying for a job [and] becoming more independent. I would like to support my mom. We’ve never lived in a house that we owned and if I could help her in getting a house, I would like to, especially for my younger siblings. I really would like to help them because they have helped me throughout my life.
Elijah shared advice for fellow students and thoughts to those who helped him achieve his goal, “Just keep going at it. It can be really rough at times and feel almost impossible, you just have to give it your all no matter how difficult it may seem. I might be a younger student, but it’s really nice to see how supportive LearningQuest is, especially for adults who are going back to get their diploma. Thanks to everyone’s support. I had the motivation and determination to make it this far so I’ll make sure to go even further for everyone.”
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