She Didn't Take the Traditional Path. She Found Her Own.
Some roads to graduation are straight.
Abbi Tiscornia's wasn't.
But ask her about the road now, and she won't tell you about what went wrong.
She'll tell you about what she found along the way.
After falling behind on credits at her previous school, Abbi knew she needed a change. The experience had taken a toll on her, and she eventually transferred to Ernest Kimme Charter Academy.
That decision changed everything.
At Kimme, Abbi found something she hadn't realized she needed just as much as the credits she was working to earn: a place where she could be herself.
"Kimme completely changed things for me," Abbi said.
"The teachers and staff boosted my mental health and created a judgment-free space where I was never afraid to be myself."
And with that support, Abbi started moving forward.
But somewhere along the way, something else happened. Abbi wasn't just finding her footing at Kimme, she was becoming part of what makes the school feel like home for other students, too.
“Abbi is a shining light on campus!” said Kimme Principal Ami Blackstone. “She is usually the first to arrive and always makes her rounds to say good morning to staff. She befriends new students and makes sure that everyone feels welcomed and supported.”
For Abbi, that sense of belonging became just as important as catching up on credits. It gave her a place to rebuild her confidence, keep moving forward and believe in what came next.
"They truly made everything possible," she said.
Now, with graduation on the horizon, Abbi can see where all her hard work is leading.
June is still a few months away, but she already knows how she wants to celebrate the people who helped her along the way.
“I am going to walk happily across that stage and thank all the amazing people who helped me get here,” she said.
But Abbi isn't waiting until graduation to start thinking about what's next.
She already has plans.
After graduation, she's heading to Colorado for a month to visit her grandmother.
Then comes a girls' trip to Tahoe to spend time with friends.
And after that, it's time to start figuring out her career.
Abbi is considering becoming a hairstylist or an EMT dispatcher; two very different paths, but both possibilities she's excited to explore.
For now, though, she's focused on the next few months.
One credit.
One class.
One step at a time.
Because Abbi's story isn't really about taking the traditional path. It's about what happens when the path changes, when things get difficult, and when you find the people who help you believe you can keep going.
She didn't give up on graduation.
She found her way back to it.
And come June, when Abbi finally walks across that stage, she'll have more than a diploma in her hands. She'll have a story about resilience, a whole lot of people to thank, and a future that is just getting started.