Senior Spotlight: Mariah Jones

Mariah Jones entered the homestretch of her senior year feeling pride and a sense of accomplishment for the first time in her life. 

Against so many odds, Jones graduated — on time — from Northeast Guilford High School on June 12. She plans to attend GTCC and wants to be a teacher because her teachers at Northeast helped her so much. 

Jones started her senior year at Northeast with just nine high school credits. She hadn’t completed a full year of high school anywhere until this year. She was told that she could take a full load of in-person and online classes but — at best — she was looking at a summer or fall high school graduation. But Jones was determined to graduate on time, no matter what she had to do. 

Sometimes it seemed impossible, but Jones learned that you can succeed with hard work, a good team supporting you and perseverance. 

It’s not that Jones wanted to do poorly in school. It’s just that the odds were stacked against her. 

She was in seventh grade when COVID-19 caused a global shutdown and most students were forced to learn remotely. Jones, who has ADHD, especially struggled with remote learning. 

“It was a really hard time because I was already struggling in middle school,” she says. “It was just hard to do everything online.” 

She didn’t understand math at all and it was hard get the help she needed remotely. Although she advanced to the eighth grade, she had little understanding of the curriculum. When she returned to in-person learning in the ninth grade, she felt even more out of place.  

“My high school years is where it got messy,” she says. “I was very starstruck. I didn’t know how the school operated. I got lost constantly. And besides getting lost, I just didn’t know how to talk to people. I couldn’t have a real conversation without feeling awkward.” 

She went back to online learning for the remainder of her freshman year. The next year, she enrolled at another high school, but didn’t remain there for long. While learning was difficult, family troubles at home worsened, overshadowing all else. 

Jones bounced between four different homes and schools over three years. In that timeframe, the longest she lived anywhere was eight months. She never felt comfortable anywhere because she didn’t even know the people she was sent to live with. She felt unwanted. 

“I didn’t know anybody. I just felt stuck,” she says. “I felt like no one was there for me when I was going through all of this stuff. And you have to sit and wonder, am I ever going to graduate if I don’t finish a year in a school?” 

It was in her fifth home, with Kia Brown Waring that Jones found the stability and support she always needed. Jones calls her Miss Kia. Although they aren’t biologically related, it’s easy to see that there’s a bond between them. 

Waring, whose three adult children are Northeast Guilford graduates, knew the staff there could help Jones finish high school. Through her advocacy and a dedicated team of teachers, administrators, counselors and a graduation coach, Jones accomplished what was needed to graduate on time.  

She entered Northeast Guilford with just enough credits to classify as a sophomore. In one year, she would have to make up three years of high school in order to graduate on time. Or, she could relieve some of the pressure on herself by dividing the work required over two years, which would move her graduation to 2026. She wanted to graduate this year.  

Her days at Northeast Guilford stretched from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., then she’d go straight home to do more school work until 10 p.m. or later. Twice weekly she stayed after school for tutoring. 

“I was tired and I got frustrated and mad, but I just knew that I had to keep pushing hard to graduate,” she says. 

The teachers and staff at Northeast Guilford monitored her progress closely and stepped in when necessary to give her the assistance she needed. 

Perhaps one of the most valuable lessons that Jones learned was how to ask for help. She always struggled with math, and when she felt like giving up, she went to Waring for consolation.  

“I said, ‘Miss Kia, I’m struggling really bad,’” Jones says. 

Waring’s response: “Why don’t you ask your teacher for help?” 

So she did. When he realized that she was a visual learner, he explained it in a way she could understand.  

“He truly helped me,” Jones says.  

Northeast Guilford Principal KaTrinka Brown said preparing Mariah for graduation was a collaborative effort involving multiple members of her staff working together. 

“We all just made sure that we communicated and checked in with each other and Mariah in order to ensure the necessary supports were provided,” Brown says. “Teachers provided the academic support, administration and counseling provided the social/emotional support. We all provided encouragement, love and attention when she needed a boost." 

“It takes a village, especially a student in my case,” Jones says. “If any student has the internal struggles that I had, if they have a team or someone who’s just there for them, it can help them succeed. A lot of teachers who aren’t even my teachers have been there for me. It helps. It makes me feel wanted and it makes me feel respected.” 

Once anxious and afraid, Jones started to thrive. But her growth wasn’t limited to academics. Her personality started to bloom. Once distrustful and hesitant to talk to people, she now engages energetically once she feels comfortable around others. As part of Waring’s family, she has celebrated birthdays and holidays and taken family vacations for the first time in her life.  

Waring is straightforward when it comes to communicating her expectations. But she’s steadfast in her loyalty and support and always includes Jones in family plans. Waring has come to know Jones as well as if she were her own daughter.  

If Jones is having a bad day, Waring knows exactly how to make it better. 

“What do you want to eat for dinner tonight?,” she’ll ask Jones. 

“She always asks me that at the right time,” Jones says with a laugh. 

And it’s usually soup. Jones loves it when Waring makes homemade broccoli and cheddar soup and garlic bread.  

“I’ll have some bad days, and she’ll make broccoli and cheddar soup and this really good garlic bread. I have, like, five pieces,” Jones says. “This is why I love her. She knows so much about me.” 

Jones never thought about attending college prior to moving in with Waring and attending Northeast Guilford. She thought that college meant acquiring debt, and her parents always discouraged from even thinking that she could attend college. In fact, her family didn’t value education at all. Jones will be the first in her family to graduate high school, let alone college. Not only that, but Jones was recently named one of the local Rotary Club’s Students of the Year.  

“Mariah’s self-motivation and determination really made this all worthwhile for us educators,” Brown says. “It has been a pleasure watching her grow and achieve all of her goals.” 

Now that she knows she has the capacity to achieve even seemingly impossible goals, Jones wants to help other students who may be juggling a troubled home life, learning difficulties or other challenges. 

“Witnessing these teachers (at Northeast Guilford) go all out for me. They want to see me shine. It wasn’t just Miss Kia. It was everyone,” Jones says. “I want to be that teacher for another child one day."