ATLANTA — Tens of thousands of Georgia students have opted into summer school in 2023, more than ever before for multiple metro school districts.
Many have fallen behind in school, but want a second chance to graduate on time. For 20-year-old Kat Romero, that second chance means everything.
“I would go to help sessions and tutors and other things and it just wouldn't click in my head," she explained. "I was to the point where I was turning in assignments and crying because I didn't know how to do any of the work.”
A recent ADHD diagnosis provided Romero some answers. She also struggled to balance school and working several jobs to help her mom with the bills.
“My mom is a single mom and I see how hard she works," Romero said. "I want to be able to, you know, take care her.”
But the biggest hit for Romero came in 2021, with the death of her best friend Carly Jackson.
"She would bring sunshine into the room," Romero recalled. "We have a tree house, and we would have our sleepovers in the tree house and bring the TV and pillows and everything, watch movies and have girl talk."
On Feb. 14 of that year, police responded to a home in response to a teen found unresponsive. Friends identified her as 16-year-old Jackson. She was a student at Johns Creek High School.
“I couldn't get out of bed or do anything," Romero said. "I ended up not doing school for like six to eight months. It brought me into a dark part in my life where I just thought, I'm not going to be able to do this at all. I’m not going to be able to graduate.”
Then, 25-year-old Shawn Saleem entered a guilty plea on June 30 to charges of concealing the death of another and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
He was sentenced to 10 years, with eight to be served in prison and then two on probation.
Romero took time off school to grieve, and eventually decided it was time to try again.
“I decided, you know what, I'm not going to give up yet," she said. "[Carly] would prioritize her school. I was like, I'm going to graduate for you since you weren't able to graduate.”
Romero is taking summer classes at Northview High School through Fulton County Schools. The district said 13,700 students enrolled in summer learning for 2023.
A district spokesperson told 11Alive it's their largest summer enrollment to date, as they work to increase summer options for their students.
It was a route Romero initially didn’t even know was possible.
“When I found that out, I literally started screaming with excitement like, yeah, I'm going to graduate, I'm going to do this!" she said. "I'm really proud of myself because I thought it just was not possible. And the fact that I'm here now feels like such a great achievement.”
Romero is now set to graduate in December.
“This is like a new chapter for me, a new opening for me, and a new beginning," she added.
And although Romero's diploma will bear her name alone, she’ll know she didn’t do it alone.
“I feel Carly around me all the time," she smiled. "I feel like she would be very proud.”
It's a milestone Romero will dedicate to her dear friend, who taught her that even when moving on feels impossible, moving forward doesn’t have to be.
“Life is short and you can't let things hold you back," Romero said. "You have to live life to the fullest every day because you never know when it's your last.”
Most metro school districts like Fulton offer both virtual and in person summer learning options.
You can learn more about different districts' summer learning options below: