In this new edition of Education Disruption, we’re featuring stories of success and challenge as told by Map students in their own words — a final capstone project before their graduation.

Getting started at Map during the 2019 - 2020 school year, right as the pandemic took hold, was tough for Doug. He struggled to adjust to the new setting, fell behind, and feared he wouldn’t be able to graduate on schedule. He says he felt anxiety and shame about this setback, so he stopped coming to school altogether. He found work outside of school, but quickly realized that he would need a high school diploma if he wanted to start his career — so he found his way back to Map and reconnected with his friends and goals. He says that the encouragement he got from Map staff along the way was key to him getting his diploma. “Everybody's a little bit nervous. Everybody thinks they're behind, but in reality, nobody's paying attention to what anybody else is doing,” Doug says. “You just got to pay attention to what you're doing. Keep yourself on track.”

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Map Academy — a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

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