It’s May in Indianapolis, and cheers from families celebrating seniors crossing graduation stages nearly drown out the roar of engines circling the track. Despite this incredible forward momentum, there is so much holding unhoused students back from the futures they can achieve.

Thousands of students facing homelessness balance the stress and trauma of instability with academics each day.

Jay started over three times this year because he changed schools each time he had to move. Roselly works 30 hours each week to support her family. Tristan became his younger brother’s only caretaker after his mom’s hospitalization.

Each day, these Brightlane Learning seniors are forced to stay focused on the needs in front of them, which makes graduation, stability and the future ahead less certain than it is for so many of their housed peers. In fact, students experiencing homelessness are 87% more likely to drop out of school than their housed peers.

Yet this May, Brightlane Learning celebrated 22 housing-unstable seniors representing 11 different Indianapolis high schools who are moving on to college, trade school and employment. These young adults are moving closer to the stable futures that every person deserves because of their own resilience and dedication.

But they aren’t doing it alone. Students succeed when communities wrap around them, collaborate intentionally, and center the voice and needs of each student at every age and every stage because students should not have to overcome instability alone.

Read Kelly’s full Viewpoint and call to action for the community published May 29, 2026 in the Indiana Business Journal here.