In a few weeks, a new high school will open its doors in Northwest Roanoke.
The approximately 50 students who walk into class at the Excel Center on Aug. 25 won’t be teenagers, but rather adults looking for another chance to complete their high school diplomas.
The school, operated by Goodwill Industries of the Valleys, sits in the center of the Melrose Plaza development and is getting finishing touches this month ahead of a grand opening celebration on Thursday. The plaza, formerly the home of Goodwill’s regional headquarters, now houses a grocery store, a cafe, a bank branch and an already established public library branch. It will soon add the high school, a wellness center and the Harrison Museum of African American Culture, which is relocating from downtown Roanoke.
While some of the plaza’s additions are intended to primarily serve residents of Northwest Roanoke, the Excel Center is meant to draw students from throughout the Roanoke region and its surrounding counties.
Goodwill estimates that about 14,000 adults over age 25 who didn’t finish high school live in the greater Roanoke region.
“Eventually, as long as they can get here, then we can serve them,” said Bruce Major, executive director of the Excel Center. Roanoke’s location is one of nearly 50 high schools for adults operated by Goodwill’s regional affiliates across the nation, and the first to open in Virginia. There’s no cost to attend. Though it will enroll about 50 students at first, the school plans to grow its enrollment to meet local interest.
The school will feature morning and afternoon classes beginning every eight weeks, so interested students can start and make progress quickly. Scheduling is flexible to meet students’ needs: One person might take a single class per session, while another learner might take four. If a student comes in with zero completed high school coursework, they can graduate in two years, Major said.
He calls it “education with a twist”: The goal is not only to help people complete their high school education, but also to set them up for career success.
“It’s a tremendous opportunity for those who need a second chance or just want to improve the quality of their lives through workforce development,” he said. 
Learning opportunities, earning potential await adult high school graduates
The Excel Center features plenty of classroom space and a well-equipped computer lab alongside a variety of wraparound services to help promote student success.
A free on-site child care center will serve children ages 6 weeks through 12 years while adults are in class. Life coaches will work one-on-one with students to set goals and connect them with necessary resources, including transportation assistance.
“A student can walk in the door just the way they are, and we’ll provide all the resources for them,” Major said.
Adults who have not completed high school have several options for finishing secondary education. In the Roanoke region, they can choose to study for the general educational development tests, a series of tests better known as the GED, or the National External Diploma Program, an online, self-directed diploma program. Both options are available via Region 5 Adult Education; Virginia has 22 regional programs for adult education.
The Excel Center, meanwhile, will offer students a traditional high school diploma. The benefit of completing the diploma lies in the course progression, Major said, which allows students to build a broader range of academic and critical thinking skills.
Two collaborative spaces at the Excel Center set up for students and teachers to use are a part of that effort to foster critical thinking skills. Large, open rooms outfitted with wall-spanning dry erase boards offer space to work on assignments and study with classmates.
A focus on career development at the Excel Center encourages students to build their skills with a specific industry in mind, such as health care, manufacturing or finance, Major said. The school will help students identify training and internship opportunities in their chosen field. If a student wants to attend college after completing their diploma, the Excel Center will help with that transition, too.
Each Excel Center is unique, from how it’s set up in its state to the features it offers to students. “It’s designed to be an ‘adapt, not adopt’ approach,” Major said.
Goodwill’s school in Roanoke was authorized by Virginia’s General Assembly, which passed a law in 2023 to allow nonprofits to set up schools for adult learners.
Major said the Roanoke facility is the first he is aware of that has a dedicated science lab, to be used for physical, life and earth science classes. He said the hands-on experience will help students see how their classroom work is relevant in the workplace.
“Once you get a high school credential, you’re going to have new jobs available to you, and new training programs you can enter,” said Christy Rhodes, an associate professor of education at East Carolina University who specializes in adult education. Completing high school, whether via a diploma program or the GED route, “allows the individual to jump in and get on the lifelong learning ladder.”
Median weekly earnings for adults without a high school education are about $740, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data from 2024. People who have finished high school earn a median $930 weekly.
People who lack a high school diploma also have the highest unemployment rate among working-age adults, the BLS says.
Rhodes said that beyond earning potential, adults who complete high school have increased self-confidence that can motivate them to continue learning. She said that individuals who complete high school are more likely to vote, volunteer and participate in community activities. “Any type of high school credential will help those without that social capital,” she said. “It’s pumping them up.” 
‘Hey, do you know anyone who needs a high school diploma?’
The Excel Center has been recruiting students for a few months. It’s an effort that involves attending a lot of community events to get the word out.
Major is sensitive to those who might feel ashamed of the fact that they didn’t finish high school. He endorses a roundabout approach to attracting potential learners.
“You broach the conversation by saying, ‘Hey, do you know anyone who needs a high school diploma?’” Major said. The question opens up the conversation without asking a person outright about their own education.
That conversation starter can help turn community members into ambassadors for the Excel Center. “You may have graduated and you may not need a diploma, but chances are, you know someone who does” need to finish school, Major said. “It’s an easy way to get the word out.”
Not everyone who shows interest in continuing their education may end up becoming a student at the Excel Center, said Kelley Weems, director of community impact at Goodwill Industries of the Valleys.
“They start as an individual, and that’s where we want that connection to be,” Weems said. “We will help guide and nurture and be able to eliminate barriers,” first as a person, and second as a student.
Weems has been working with community partners who have expressed interest in working with the school. One key partnership is with Carilion Clinic, which has a paid internship program that the Excel Center will be able to refer interested students to. “There are so many jobs in the health care [field],” Weems said, and being able to expose learners in the high school program to those various roles can help them narrow down the right career path for them. Some internships may result in employment offers, she said.
[Disclosure: Carilion is one of our donors, but donors have no say in news decisions; see our policy.]
On the late-July day when Major and Weems sat down for an interview, Weems beamed as she entered the room. She had just gotten off the phone with United Healthcare, which had offered the Excel Center a washer and dryer and laundry supplies through its Terry’s Locker student hygiene program.
Access to laundry facilities during the school day could make a huge difference to some adults enrolled at the Excel Center, Weems said.
If a student doesn’t have a washing machine at home, the cost of doing laundry at a laundromat can add up, and transportation can be a barrier, Weems said. That stress can multiply if someone is preparing for a job interview or needs professional attire for an internship. “There are just so many little things that we don’t always think through,” that can be significant obstacles for those around us, she said.
Major sees the Excel Center as a second chance for the adults who enroll. “It’s an opportunity to make your life better, to make your family life better,” he said. “Without any judgment.”
