‘Never give up:’ 27 Northside adults graduate high school with help from local nonprofit

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — More than two dozen local adults celebrated a milestone on Monday and got their high school diploma, years after dropping out of school for some.

“It made me feel like I can do anything,” Bruyana Goldson, one of the graduates, said. “Being able to show people the other side of me. The growth and the changes I’ve made.”

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

Action News Jax’s Robert Grant caught up with Goldson at Grounds of GRACE, the Arlington coffee shop where she works. But this job pays her far more than just a check.

The 31-year-old dropped out of high school when she was 17 years old after she lost her mother to cancer.

Read: New age progression photo shows what missing Haleigh Cummings would look like at age 21

“I just lost sight on the things I wanted to do and my dreams. Everything I wanted to accomplish — I let them go,” Goldson said.

She lived in what was once known as Cleveland Arms, the murder capital of Jacksonville. It’s the same community where the organization Sponsored by GRACE started working six years ago.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

“‘The streets are always hiring’. I took that phrase and said, ‘Hey how can we redevelop that,’” Ron Armstrong, the nonprofit’s founder, said. “We wanted to be an organization that can help. If they got the right credentials, they could get the right stepping stones in life. And more importantly show that to their kids.”

Sponsored by GRACE opened Grounds of GRACE, the Arlington coffee shop where Goldson now works. They hire those in need of help. Because of the organization’s support, she was able to go back to high school and get her diploma along with 27 other adults in the community.

She said she did it for herself, but more importantly for her three children.

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

“They look up to me. And I know they want to see the best in me, so I do whatever it takes to keep my kids happy,” she said. “Never give up on yourself. Never stop believing in what you want to do in life.”

Now Goldson said she’s looking to become a dentist or lawyer.

Armstrong said Sponsored by GRACE is looking to bring their work to other underprivileged communities across Jacksonville.

Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.