By: Shayla Terry

Serafina Spivey fell behind in school due to circumstances beyond her control, but through hard work and dedication, she has completed both her junior and senior years of high school in two semesters and will graduate with the Highland Home class of 2017 on May 22.

Spivey was born in Luverne, but raised in Highland Home. Growing up, Spivey says she knew she always wanted to have a career that involved the ocean.

“Growing up in a small town, there was just so much out there that I never had seen,” she said. “I think that’s what always made the ocean cool to me.”

In the 7th grade, Spivey moved from Highland Home to Prattville. In 2014, when she came back to the Highland School system she was behind her original class by two years.

“When I moved, I just happened to always be a in the wrong place at the wrong time, and a lot of negative things in my life made it worse for me,” Spivey said.

When returning to Highland, she moved in with her father, Serfin Garcia. Spivey says she had a renewed spirit and was determined to finish her education.

“I knew that from what I had been through, I was determined to finish,” she said. “Nothing was going to stop me.”

At the beginning of this school year, Spivey was informed by her high school counselor, Kate Foreman, that central office was taking on a new educational technology.

“She told me I could do 11th and 12th grade in one year,” Spivey said. I told her to sign me up.”

From there, she began taking her core classes and electives through Odysseyware, and online education system.  Spivey traveled to the Crenshaw County Board of Education every day from 8 a.m.- noon to complete her classes. Spivey finished her junior year in December, and finished her senior year in April — a month early.

Instead of graduating with 2018, she will now finish with 2017, only a year behind her actual class. Spivey says that even if Odysseyware wasn’t made available to her, she still would’ve stuck it out until the end.

“I was determined to finish high school,” she said. “I am determined to go to college and graduate. I am determined to make something out of myself. I won’t just be sitting around.”

In the fall, she will attend Troy University and major in marine biology. Spivey has received the Joe R. and Barbara Sport Endowed Award Scholarship to help further her education.