"If
I didn’t have [Collier] as a constant at that time, I would’ve been a
disaster!” That’s how Mark Jeacoma summed up his experience at Collier
High School, which he attended for his sophomore through senior years
before graduating in June of 2004. A self-described “hard kid,” Mark
was kicked out of his district school for fighting, placed in rehab, and
then referred to Collier. During this time, his parents were also
having difficulty that eventually resulted in a bitter divorce but,
according to Mark, “They didn’t agree about anything, but they both
loved this place!”
When
Mark first arrived at Collier, he was completely disconnected from his
education and had absolutely no interest in learning. “I remember
giving up on school…I was over it, and didn’t even care. It was just
another hang-out to come to and not let anything bother me.” After
being at CHS for a few weeks, though, Mark began to feel differently.
“I found a group of people who understood what I was going through,
both kids and staff,” recalled Mark. “All the teachers were
understanding with me, and all the students were like me. I felt
comfortable here.” Even though he was just 15 at the time, Mark felt
older based on the rough life he’d lived thus far. “I didn’t feel like a
kid. I was in and out of rehabs, but nobody babied me,” Mark
remembered. “They treated you like a person, and really let me be who I
wanted to be here.”
Mark
connected with several facets of the program, including the Building
Trades classes with Mr. Staggard and the Anger Management group therapy
offered. It was the very special relationship with his Social Worker,
Barbara Raffel, however, that made all the difference for Mark. “She
just cared about what was going on with me,” he asserted. One of Mark’s
darkest times was when his longtime girlfriend (currently his wife)
moved out of state. “Barb said all I have to do is graduate and then I
can do what I want.” She talked to his girlfriend on the phone, and
together they convinced Mark that the best thing he can do for himself
is to earn his diploma. “She was the only one who took me out of it. I
don’t know how she did it, but she did! I didn’t want to let her
down.”
After
graduating from Collier, Mark moved to North Carolina to join his
girlfriend and attended Forsyth Technical College in Winston-Salem. He
managed the Wireless Department at a local Costco for six years before
leaving to join the team at Verizon as a District Trainer for Verizon
Wireless where he has been since. IN 2008 Mark married his high-school
sweetheart, Ruth, and they have two beautiful children, Grayson
(“G-Man”) who is 3 years old and baby Olivia. Mark and his entire
family returned to Collier recently to visit his Social Worker, Barbara
Raffel, with whom he keeps in close contact via phone and Facebook.
“I’m really glad [Barb] is still here because, if she’s still seeing
kids, then they’re getting what they need,” said Mark. “There are
certain people who are special…they’ve got that gift.”