Forty-three-year-old Lori Skoglund is an in-home care provider for people with disabilities. She has worked for Dakota Milestones in her hometown of Chamberlain, SD for the past year, but found that without a high school diploma her opportunities were limited.

“I’m not allowed to administer medications and it hurts my potential for advancement opportunities in my field,” she said.

Skoglund enrolled in Sun Coast High School in June of this year to improve her employment outlook. She chose the Office Management career certificate, one of six certificate options available to Sun Coast High School students, because it emphasizes the types of skills—computer, communication, professionalism, customer service—that will allow her to broaden her employment horizons.

Sun Coast High School, a division within Smart Horizons Career Online Education, was the perfect solution for Skoglund, who, in her teen years, had left school after completing her ninth-grade year when she became pregnant with her first child. She now has four children and two step-children, ages 12 to 25, and lives in Chamberlain with her husband.

“The Sun Coast High School program is well-designed and the academic coaches are wonderful,” said Skoglund. “They listen to you when you have a problem and try to help you work it out. I like that you can go online and get your work done whenever you have time. I’m enjoying the history and English classes the most.”

Skoglund’s goal is to complete the online courses to earn her high school diploma and credentialed career certificate by July of 2013—finally becoming an official high school graduate.