‘He turned his life around to help his mother’

Around 1:35 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 27, a success story walked out of the Knox Learning Center and into the crisp sunshine of the future.

Tristan Carter, who had earned all of the credits needed for his high school diploma, left to the cheers and applause of staff and students who lined the main hallway for a congratulatory “clap out.”

It marked the conclusion of a sometimes tumultuous journey in which Carter was pushed by his mother, the Learning Center staff and, in the end, his own inner motivation.

Carter, now 18, acknowledged that he was a troublesome kid nearly four years ago when he was sent from Mount Gilead High School to the Learning Center, a K-12 alternative school for students who have trouble succeeding in their home school environments.

The Learning Center is operated by the Knox Educational Service Center in the former Mount Vernon West Elementary building. Emphasizing discipline tempered by understanding, compassion and individualized approaches to academics, it serves students from Knox County and other nearby districts.

“I had issues back then – attendance, behavior and not getting my work done,” Carter said.

It wasn’t always rainbows and unicorns at the Learning Center.

“There were times when Tristan wasn’t keeping up his work and his attendance wasn’t good,” said high school teacher Sean Sweeney. “But his mother is sick and he really cares about her. That got him motivated to find it inside himself to get things done to receive his diploma.”

Carter said the 3 ½ years he spent at the Learning Center put him on the right track.

“There were ups and downs here, like everywhere,” he said. “But there are teachers here that I like. It was a positive experience. I plan now to apply (to the Ohio Department of Corrections) to be a corrections officer.”

Sweeney credited Learning Center Director Joe Mazzari and counselor Lisa Mazzari with playing key roles in pushing Carter toward graduation.

“Tristan was an introvert when he arrived here. He wasn’t sure of himself and he kept to himself,” Joe Mazzari said. “His mother is the most important thing in his life. She had some tough years with Tristan but she kept him moving forward. She’s sick and Tristan wants to take care of her. He has turned his life around to do that.”

Carter works at a grocery store, Mazzari said, adding that his desire to become a corrections officer is patterned after his mother, who worked in the state corrections system.

Twenty-seven students earned their high school diplomas at the Learning Center over the last three years and seven more are on track to graduate this school year. Graduates are issued diplomas from their home schools.

“Our graduates meet all of the state proficiency and testing requirements. Some classes require 80 percent achievement, a few others 90 percent,” Mazzari said. “We don’t just hand them diplomas. They earn them.”

ESC Superintendent Dr. Timm Mackley noted Carter’s evolution from introvert to graduate.

“Everyone at the Learning Center is proud of Tristan. Like many other students, he has been very successful at our school,” Mackley said. “He was one of the top students in class and he was quick to volunteer when help was needed. 

“I am confident that he will find further success in the years ahead.”

Mazzari said he believes Carter is the first Mount Gilead student to earn a diploma at the Learning Center.

“We’re glad to have played a role in Tristan’s success but in the end it was his love for his mother and his inner motivation that made the difference,” Mazzarisaid.

“He really has turned his life around.”