Gabby visited Elevate Branson recently, with a group of high school students taking a tour and learning more about our programs and services. She participates in GoCaps — the Greater Ozarks Centers for Advanced Professional Studies – part of a nationally recognized, innovative high school program that allows students to fast forward into their future by becoming fully immersed in a professional culture, solving real world problems and using industry standard tools. The students’ personalized learning experiences educate the workforce of tomorrow, all while receiving high school and college credit.

When we visited with Gabby, we learned it was her first visit to our campus but not her first experience with Elevate Branson. A few years earlier, Gabby and her family were living in a weekly-stay hotel in Branson. In Gabby’s words, “Every week, the one day I looked forward to, was Thursday night because of the meal delivery. The folks that came every week were some of the nicest people that I ever met; they were so compassionate towards everyone they encountered. Some of the folks even knew a few of us by name.”

Today Gabby is exploring a career in medicine and health care, thanks to the GoCaps program at her high school. It’s possible that the care she felt when our team reached out to her family every Thursday night influenced her too. Not only is she a grateful and confident young lady giving back in her community today, she’s preparing now for a future career caring for others.