GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A teacher for kids with special needs is serving up solutions at a one-of-a-kind café in Gwinnett County.
A change to Georgia's graduation requirements could have closed off a way forward for students, but one educator found a way to open a new door.
Before the first bell at North Gwinnett High School, there is goodness brewing.
"No day is the same, and everyone loves being here. Everyone is just so happy," said Coach Randy Black.
Black has been teaching special education since 2007, when the state changed the requirements for vocational diplomas.
Most of his students depend on that on-the-job training to graduate. So, he thought outside the box and straight into a cup.
"Our administration was so supportive of finding a solution. They told me I could figure out what would work. And I said, 'We are going to do a coffee shop, and our kids are going to run it,'" he said.
Black got to work on laying the flooring and hanging the lights himself at the Java Dawg Café.
"It was founded out of a need, that one man saw, that so many people have grasped on to what he saw and has become just an amazing machine," said educator Josh Mendoza.
Justin Young was one of the first students to open the café more than 10 years ago and still lights up behind the counter.
"The whole reason this was created for, the Justins of the world," said Coach Black.
The café pours the profits back to help the students.
"This year alone, we have been able to give 8,000 in scholarships, and since 2011, we have raised 90,000 in scholarships," said Mendoza.
An investment that pays off for everyone who walks through the doors.
The only thing stronger than the coffee at Java Dawgs is the bond behind the counter.
"You always hear that teachers change lives, but then you see it! You see these kids gain confidence and really shine. You can see the positive change," said Coach Black.
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Photos | Java Dawg Café
The café will be changing, too. Coach Black is retiring this year.
"Unofficially for now, but we will officially rename the Java Dawg, Coach Black's Java Dawg," said Mendoza.
For Black, what counts isn't the name on the cup but the value the café adds for his students.
"When you become a teacher, that's your job, to change students' lives positively. And I feel like I just did my job," added Black.