Lucy was determined to find a high school that would give her son Joel the tools he would need to succeed.

It wasn’t long before Lucy found Intrinsic, a new charter public school that checked all the boxes on her list. Intrinsic embraces technology, helps students to strengthen their unique talents and gives them the attention and freedom they need to develop into responsible adults.

Lucy was sure that Intrinsic would change her son’s life—but she could never have guessed how much it would change hers as well.

As a teenager, Lucy struggled in high school and always assumed she would never go to college. This all changed thanks to the team at Intrinsic who helped both her and Joel to prepare for the college admissions process.

“I thought to myself, can I do this? Erin Teater, the counselor at Intrinsic, gave me enough courage to say, why not me? It was scary and felt a little crazy, but I thought if Joel is going do it, I am going to find a way as well.”

Lucy applied to college alongside her son. Instead of the usual transcripts, Lucy used her resume, letters of recommendation, and her essay to tell her story—one about a mom whose son had inspired her to keep learning.

Today, Lucy and Joel are both sophomores in college.

Joel is attending DePauw University and enrolled in online classes at Northwestern University. He is studying architecture and design, as well as sports broadcasting. He plays on the DePauw baseball team and is on track to graduate early.

Lucy is pursuing a degree in communications at Northwestern University. Once she graduates, she plans to earn a master’s degree and pursue the career of her dreams she never thought possible.