Kentwood — On a recent Friday morning at Grand Rapids-based Goodwill Training and Career Services, seven Crossroads High School students practiced CPR, learning lifesaving steps to use in emergency situations.
They will return on future Fridays throughout the school year to continue training for Certified Nursing Assistant certification, a credential they can use in the workforce after graduation or build on in college.
“My mom is a CNA and I would really like to follow in her footsteps,” said junior Keonda Guyton shortly after practicing chest compressions on a mannequin. “Also, I want to be working somewhere in the healthcare field, so I felt like this was a great opportunity.”
Just miles away at Grand Rapids Community College’s Leslie E. Tassell MTEC facility, similar sized groups of Crossroads students worked in welding, construction and automotive programs, also training for credentials they can carry with them into jobs or further career training.
“I like to build and I like to work with my hands,” said junior Amisi Katoko, who is in the construction program. “My family is proud of me for doing this. It’s something I like to do and I would like to do it for work.”
‘The goal is for 100% of our in-person students to leave with a credential.’
— Crossroads Assistant Principal Dollineller Large
Crossroads’ Different Paths
Welcome to alternative high school 2.0, where instead of simply playing catch-up by taking online classes to meet graduation requirements, the majority of Crossroads students are splitting their time between traditional in-person classrooms and in work-based learning programs that have them looking past graduation day and toward their futures.
While Crossroads still offers an online program to about 80 students who need that option, about 120 students are attending in person for three school days per week of traditional classroom instruction and two full days per week spent offsite learning a trade.
“They learn a skill on Friday and Wednesday is the day for the application of what was learned,” said Assistant Principal Dollineller Large, who is in her fourth year at Crossroads. “The goal is for 100% of our in-person students to leave with a credential.”
The model has caught the attention of the Michigan Department of Education, which spotlighted Crossroads in a report in July for its effective strategy in “influencing Michigan’s Top 10 Strategic Education Plan.”
The report cites improvements in Crossroads’ graduation rate and attendance. According to Michigan’s education database, MI School Data, the school’s four-year graduation rate increased from 37% in 2022-23 to 63% in 2024-25. The chronic absenteeism rate (students who miss at least 10% of school days) improved as well, dropping from 64.2% in ’22-23 to 39.3% in ’24-25.
Along with the CNA and MTEC programs, students can choose to spend their Fridays focused on several other career pathways made possible through community partnerships. Those include:
- cosmetology through Shani’s Beauty Academy;
- game development through Protege Game Studios;
- leadership development through Adventure Point and various service organizations;
- and visual arts and digital media through West Michigan Center for Arts and Technology and Mosaic Film Experience.
They also partner with Wedgwood Christian Services for career exploration.
On Wednesdays, students put their learning into practice at places like LaFontaine Ford, where automotive students work on vehicles with a technician. Welding students practice their skills at Beverlin Manufacturing Corporation and construction students work on Habitat for Humanity houses.
The program, developed and expanded over the last several years, has a clear connection to attendance — which has a clear connection to graduation, said Crossroads Principal Justin Mathes.
“Students truly enjoy the program they are in and really want to attend on those days,” said Mathes, who is in his third year as principal. “I think our students see the value in what they are getting here because we not only talk about graduation, but that when you leave, if you do not want to go to college, that’s fine —- you’re career ready.”
The administrators said they have seen results firsthand.
“We have had individuals hired into companies that are partners with us, based on their work ethic (demonstrated) while they were there on Wednesday, but also the credential they might have received,” Mathes said. “We had a student who got a position over someone else because he was already certified in CPR.”
School-day Support
Students are primarily referred to Crossroads if they are off track to graduate following their freshman year at the East Kentwood Freshman Campus and need to catch up on credits.
For that reason, Crossroads students often need ongoing academic support and benefit from two advisory periods throughout their school day, Large said.
“Advisory periods build rapport and safety. Our students often need a lot of wrap-around services. It’s kind of like a check-in right before you get into the whole career development piece,” Large said. “We are checking grades to see if any assignments are missing. (Students and teachers) are discussing that in real time, rather than waiting until the semester’s almost over.”
The morning begins with dedicated time for coffee, “getting the wiggles out” and academic support. The rest of the day blends three core classes with another advisory period “100% focused on career development,” Large said. Students work on online programs based on career exploration and to prepare for workforce days.
The model is popular, she said. Students have the opportunity to return to East Kentwood if they catch up on credits, which several do each year. However, many choose to stay at Crossroads even after they are on track again.
“We’ve created an atmosphere where it’s intimate; there’s a lot of individualized attention,” Large said. “We have a very caring staff; the students feel safe and, our babies, they love their school.”
Back at Goodwill during the Friday CPR session, senior Anthony Rumney spoke of his clear plans for the future – to be a firefighter and paramedic. He signed up for the CNA program because he knows the certification will help.
“I need medical training to help me get into a firefighting academy. It’s a great stepping stone,” he said. “It makes me more comfortable that as I start the firefighting program (I would be) knowing somewhat about what I might get into.”
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