Mike Wolanin | The Republic Jose Lovos, a student at The Excel Center of Bartholomew County, gets a standing ovation after giving a speech about his pathway to becoming a student at the center during a ribbon cutting ceremony for The Excel Center of Bartholomew County in Columbus, Ind., Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025.
Jose Lovos, soon-to-be-graduate of Bartholomew County’s free high school for adults, nearly brought the house down just as the completion of renovation work was being celebrated.
Lovos, who plans to open up a small business in Columbus, spoke during a ribbon cutting ceremony about how The Excel Center – Bartholomew County has offered him and other adults without a high school diploma another chance.
“This is not only a high school diploma for me,” Lovos said. “This is a second opportunity at life.”
The Excel Center – Bartholomew County has been offering classes at the former Southern Indiana Orthopedics at 940 N. Marr Road since September, but Aug. 5 marked the finish of a refurbished space complete with classrooms, a student commons and a child care center.
The Excel Center in Columbus is one of what will soon be 50 in the United States operated by Goodwill Education Initiatives Inc. There are 24 Excel Centers in Indiana in an effort to provide the more than 450,000 working-aged Hoosiers who didn’t finish high school another chance at their degree.
The school recognizes accommodations older students may need, offering flexible scheduling and a variety of support services including child care and transportation assistance. In a year’s time, a student can earn every credit required to receive a high school diploma. The center employs seven licensed teachers.
More than 4,000 Bartholomew County residents over the age of 25 lack a high school diploma, and 16% of the population is living in poverty, according to the American Community Survey. If you include the surrounding counties, 20% of residents lack a high school diploma, which significantly limits their current and future job prospects.
“Our graduates are going to earn more money, they’re going to be more likely to go to college, they’re going to be more likely to be employed, and their kids are going to be more likely to have success,” according to Kent Kramer, president and CEO, Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana.
Around 60% of jobs require not only a high school diploma, but also an industry-recognized certification or college dual -credit, something Kramer said 100% of the 885 Excel Center graduates in Indiana last year attained.
Dana Calfee, director of Columbus’ Excel Center, told those gathered how “the path to get a high school diploma has to address the variability in the students who need it.”
“This is a place where hope is reignited, because students of all ages, they find a sense of comfort here,” Calfee said. “We find a sense of belonging that allows them to flourish in an educational setting, regardless of their past, regardless of current or perceived obstacles.”
Lovos, described by Calfee as “a true believer in the notion that life is beautiful, and that it is full of opportunities,” said the Excel Center represents “the second hope for all of us who had dreams and plans to make our life better.”
“Our beginnings to this program were on the other side of this building. And even though the setup wasn’t traditional, the staff and Dana made sure that the environment was so well-suited for us to receive an education,” Lovos said to knowing laughter. ” …. The transformation to this real school environment was awesome.”
Lovos mentioned the child care center accommodation as integral to being able to get his diploma.
The Indiana General Assembly funds Excel Centers at $6,750 per student, and had allocated a couple more slots for additional Excel Centers, one which ended up being Columbus. After it looked like the Excel Center would be in downtown Columbus in the Roviar Building, Goodwill officials made the switch to the Marr Road location.
More than 10,000 Hoosiers have graduated since the first Excel Center opened in Indianapolis in 2010, in part why the Indiana General Assembly is funding the adult charter schools.
Rep. Ryan Lauer, R-Columbus, spoke at the ribbon-cutting, and was the first commencement speaker for Columbus’ Excel Center location in June.
There have been 140 students who have taken classes at Columbus’ Excel Center since September, most from Bartholomew County, although Jennings, Brown and Decatur county students are represented as well, Calfee said.
“We’re so glad that we are slowly but surely reaching those counties,” Calfee said. “… It might seem a little cheesy, but it’s not. They show up here with fear and courage at the same time. When they realize that this might be possible, it’s like switching a light on.”
Indiana’s switch to new high school diploma requirements meshes well with how Excel Center operates because of the emphasis the school puts on certifications, according to Kramer.
“People are changing their lives through this opportunity,” Kramer said. “… For us, it’s a great fit.”
Anyone interested in attending the Excel Center has to go through a short application process. To do that, potential students can either visit 940 N. Marr Road or go to excelcenter.org and click on the “enroll today” banner.
