Back on Track: Donna Dukes And Sernitria Bell
High school graduates earn about $10,000 more each year than dropouts. And they’ll be less likely to end up in jail, or even suffer some preventable diseases, studies show. But what if students could get back on track before an academic plunge dooms them to a life of less than?
The Southern Education Desk, in advance of American Graduate Day on October 3, is highlighting people who got back on track and programs that helped them get there.
Donna Dukes
Donna Dukes founded Maranathan Academy in East Birmingham the same year she graduated college in 1991. She wanted to help students who often fall through the cracks or just need a second chance for success.
She had planned on becoming a lawyer. She was valedictorian of the Miles College class of 1991 and her path was set until she did some volunteer work at Jefferson County Family Court.
She says she saw lots of young people who were falling through the cracks and were not completing high school.
The daughter of a civil rights leader and an educator, Dukes felt compelled to do something.
So instead of going to law school, she launched Maranathan Academy in the fall of 1991. She had one student and one desk. The school house was actually a home her grandmother had left to the family.
Twenty students are currently enrolled for this year, and there is a waiting list of 70, she says. Dukes has seen lots of success stories over the years, and she looks forward to more.
“I really believe that I am in my calling,” she says.
Sernitria Bell
Sernitria Bell
Sernitria Bell of Birmingham left high school in the 12th grade. At the age of 26, she made a decision that changed her life.
When she was in high school, Sernitria Bell got hooked up with the “wrong crowd,” she says. Instead of being a leader, she followed others and ended up dropping out in the 12th grade.
The next eight years of her life were followed by more bad decisions and dead end jobs. She realized she needed a high school diploma if she was to have a chance at success.
A friend told Bell about Maranathan Academy in east Birmingham. At the age of 26 she went back to school, earned a high school diploma, and went on to get certified as a medical assistant after completing a program at Fortis Institute. Now Bell, a 28-year-old mother of two, is preparing to go on to community college to study to become a surgical technician.
“You have to get a high school diploma if you don’t want a dead end job,” she says.
This report is supported by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Alabama Power seeks to delay rate hike for new gas plant amid outcry
The state’s largest utility has proposed delaying the rate increase from its purchase of a $622 million natural gas plant until 2028.
Former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones announces run for Alabama governor
Jones announced his campaign Monday afternoon, hours after filing campaign paperwork with the Secretary of State's Office. His gubernatorial bid could set up a rematch with U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, the Republican who defeated Jones in 2020 and is now running for governor.
Scorching Saturdays: The rising heat threat inside football stadiums
Excessive heat and more frequent medical incidents in Southern college football stadiums could be a warning sign for universities across the country.
The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring an Audio Editor
The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring an Audio Editor to join our award-winning team covering important regional stories across Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.
Judge orders new Alabama Senate map after ruling found racial gerrymandering
U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco, appointed by President Donald Trump during his first term, issued the ruling Monday putting a new court-selected map in place for the 2026 and 2030 elections.
Construction on Meta’s largest data center brings 600% crash spike, chaos to rural Louisiana
An investigation from the Gulf States Newsroom found that trucks contracted to work at the Meta facility are causing delays and dangerous roads in Holly Ridge.
