Student Profile: Denmark Empowerment School, Wisconsin

For many teens struggling to achieve, fit in, and find direction, high school can be tough.  It was for 16-year-old Alisha Honkanen.  That was before she found a school that fit her needs.  This is her story in her own words.

My name is Alisha Honkanen. I’m 16 years old and recently began attending Denmark Empowerment Charter School (DECS). I can say with all honesty that if it wasn’t for DECS I probably would still be causing problems and thinking of dropping out. Before I came to DECS, I was a completely unreasonable student. I skipped classes, refused to do homework, and would disregard authority every chance I got. I was failing almost all of my classes and suffering both emotionally and academically. 

After I started attending DECS, I changed. I had teachers that I could actually talk to, I had classmates that didn’t shun me or whisper snide comments at me. For the first time I felt accepted. I began to care about my grades and my future, I wanted to better myself as a person. Because of DECS I was able to make up the credits I had lost my freshman year and actually look forward to going to school. 

I know without DECS I wouldn’t have a chance of graduating. I want to share my story with others so that they know how important Charter Schools can be to the educational development of today’s youth, because without it I know that our futures will take a turn for the worse.

The Denmark Empowerment Charter School emphasizes student self-awareness through giving students entrepreneurial business opportunities, community-service learning projects, and even daily food-service responsibilities.  While holding its students accountable to statewide academic benchmarks, DECS places a strong emphasis on individualization of instructional unit pace and individualization of unit topics for its students.  Learn more about DECS by visiting www.denmark.k12.wi.us

This story is printed on the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools website.  You can share your story at http://www.publiccharters.org/getinvolved/share.  You can also share your story on the Wisconsin Charter Schools Association Ning Network at http://www.publiccharters.org/getinvolved/share