2026 Excel Center graduates look toward the future at South Bend and Elkhart graduation ceremony

On Tuesday, June 2, Goodwill’s Excel Center honored its latest class of South Bend and Elkhart graduates during a joint ceremony held at Clay High School in South Bend. Graduates and their families and friends gathered to celebrate the Class of 2026 with cheers and congratulations as they walked the stage for their diplomas.

The Goodwill Excel Center is a tuition-free high school for adults seeking their Indiana Core 40 diploma. In addition to removing the financial burden of schooling, the Excel Center caters to the needs of adult learners with services like free childcare and offers flexible scheduling options to help students meet their goals in an encouraging environment.

The program, like all of Goodwill’s services, is made possible through Goodwill’s retail operations and the support of local businesses and organizations. The ceremony featured a keynote address from Indiana State Representative Maureen Bauer and a special message to graduates from Congressman Rudy Yakym.

The night also served as an opportunity to celebrate this year’s Debie Coble Award winners. The Debie Coble Award recognizes one student from each Excel Center that has demonstrated outstanding resolve and dedication in pursuit of education. This year’s winners were Tiffany Sevarns and Sidney Wedge from the South Bend and Elkhart Excel Centers, respectively.

“I can’t even express how this feels, to be honest. I don’t have the words,” Sevarns said. “There was a lot I had to do to be able to get this far, and my teachers were big supporters in getting me here.”

Sevarns began looking into the Excel Center after her fiancé recommended she explore the program. She wanted to finish her high school education to open new career paths, and the Excel Center’s accommodating program gave Sevarns the flexibility she needed to succeed.

“They accommodated everything and were very understanding and patient with me,” she said. “They pushed me to my greatest extent.”

Sevarns, who has a personal history with addiction, will use her education to support her community as a health worker. She is considering becoming a substance abuse counselor, but her time at the Excel Center provides her with numerous possibilities.

“The Excel Center opened the gates for me to actually decide what I want to do. I struggled with addiction, and I was in a spot where I felt like I was really going nowhere,” Sevarns said. “At the Excel Center, the closer I got to graduating made me see my worth and my potential.”

Wedge, who came to the Excel Center with a deep inner determination to receive her diploma, was incredibly impressed from the beginning with the support the Excel Center offered.

“They were amazing through and through. I can’t say enough good things about them wherever I go,” she said. “I’m constantly promoting the Excel Center because it’s a great place where they want everyone to succeed.”

For Wedge, graduation is only the beginning. She plans to use the opportunity to give back to her community as a behavior technician and certified administrative assistant.

“This is definitely the beginning of my journey, not the end,” Wedge said. “They didn’t just give me a diploma and push me out. They made sure that I had a plan. They set me up for success.”

Both Wedge and Sevarns encourage anyone interested in finishing their high school education and receiving their diplomas to enroll in the Excel Center. Between the supportive teachers and staff, the services to remove barriers to education, and the new opportunities following graduation, an education at the Excel Center can be life-changing.

“It’s one of the best decisions you’ll ever make. You will never regret it,” Wedge said. 

“Do it and don’t give up, especially when you feel like the easiest thing to do is to just drop out,” Sevarns said. “It’s a lot, and it can be really hard, but just do it and push through because it’s worth it.”

Since opening its doors in Michiana in 2015, the Excel Center program has helped over 1,000 graduates achieve their educational goals. To learn more about the Excel Center or to enroll, visit Diploma4Me.com.