With a strong finish: Barker High graduate finishes in time for birth of son

When Emma Brockmier first transferred to Barker High School, she didn’t have much hope for herself. She’d changed schools several times, experienced bullying and struggled in some of her classes.

“I felt there was no way I’m going to graduate. I had a hard time transitioning out of bad habits, like skipping school,” Brockmier said.

But she stuck with it and became one of the school’s most dedicated students, teacher Jana McKnight said.

“When I first met Emma, she was what I would call a discouraged learner. She had had a rough go and some moves and hadn’t really set a goal for finishing high school,” said McKnight, describing how, over the past two years, Brockmier became an inquisitive learner who turned in quality work.

“She takes great pride in her academic product, the things she turns in and the discussions she has are pretty deep. She’s a very thoughtful student,” McKnight said. “She’s incredibly curious, which is fun when you’re teaching, to have someone that pushes at you to know more.”

Brockmier also became determined to graduate and pursued that goal with organization and tenacity, McKnight said.

“When she sets a goal, then she researches what it takes to get that goal and then she sets a time limit, and she just takes care of it,” McKnight said.

She described how Brockmier approached getting her first job.

“She went out and set up a time that she was going to pick up applications and a time limit to finish her resume and, by golly, she was employed in under two weeks. It’s the way she does things.”

Shortly after getting the job, Brockmier found out she was pregnant. Once again she doubted she would graduate. But she wasn’t ready to give up on the goal after so much hard work.

“If anything, the pregnancy made her more directed and more focused,” said McKnight, describing how, on top of working, Brockmier often came to school early, stayed late and worked through lunch so she could turn in quality work and meet her graduation requirements before having her baby.

“I wanted to finish. Something clicked and I got through it. I finished early, too,” said Brockmier, leaning down to kiss her baby’s head. “I finished a month before I had him.”

Avery Jace Hodges was born March 11, weighing 7 pounds, 11 ounces.

Now that she’s graduating, Brockmier has a new plan and set of goals to become financially self-reliant and raise her son. For the next year she plans to work, then enroll in community college.

“I need more money. I have a kid now,” she said. “I want him to know he’ll always have someone there and I’ll listen and love him no matter what.”

“I want to do better. I don’t want to struggle. I’ve gone through that,” she continued, adding, “If I could get through high school, I could get through anything.”

McKnight said Brockmier is a strong finisher and deep thinker who has proven what she can accomplish.

“She demands a lot of herself,” she said. “Emma has the ability to be academically successful at anything she chooses. I will never put her under the heading, ‘discouraged learner’ again. It just doesn’t fit her anymore.”