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2021 Graduates: Kashyah Nabors Finding Focus Through Family
Kashyah Nabors could have given up on getting her high school diploma but she didn’t for two very good reasons: her son, Malik, 3, and daughter, Ka’lani, 1.
Nabors, 20, was pregnant with Malik when she enrolled in Phoenix High School. She’d dropped out of school to work but wanted to go back. She’d heard that Phoenix staff was good at supporting students.
That became especially important after she became pregnant with her daughter and considered dropping out permanently.
“I was working and I didn’t have time for anything else,” she said. “It’s hard being a student and a mom. I was trying to do my work while both of them were up. I had to wait for them to go to sleep before I could do my homework.”
Nabors, who is the daughter of Kawanna Nabors, attended Edison Environmental Science Academy, Washington Writers’ Academy, Milwood Magnet School, and Loy Norrix before enrolling in Phoenix.
“It was important to me to stay in school because I want to go into medicine, and I can’t do that without a high school diploma,” Nabors said.
Phoenix staff could be counted on to make sure she understood the work, and they rallied around her when she was struggling, especially science teacher Ann Huntington, who would let students come in and work during the lunch hour; Spanish teacher Scott Hunsinger, who was always willing to take a phone call to answer questions; attendance interventionist Art Norman; and school secretary Sue Valler.
“Miss Valler, honestly, when I felt like I couldn’t do it, I would email her and express how I felt and she’d help me out.” Nabors said Valler helped her with Google Meets and guided her to the right Gradpoint classes.
Valler said that Nabors deserves a bright future. “Kashyah persevered and overcame a lot of obstacles to graduate and receive her diploma. She’s very kind, sweet, and hard-working.”