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Meet Scottie Gipson, Former Dropout With Big Plans

Scottie Gipson wants to own his own business. And after dropping out for three years, he now knows he’ll need to finish high school and go to college to accomplish that goal.

Scottie didn’t have a very stable life as a kid. His father’s been in and out of prison; he says his mother didn’t really seem to care whether he went to school or not. Scottie dropped out at 15 and began using and selling drugs to make ends meet.

Now, though, he’s cleaned up his act. And as he tells KERA’s Krys Boyd: “I won’t be around it. I’ve told everybody that, in my family you know. Don’t bring it around me.”

Scottie recently returned to school with the encouragement of his sister, uncle and girlfriend, and attends classes at the Lewisville Learning Center. Scottie plans to graduate in December, attend the University of North Texas and eventually start his own company.

On Students Speak Out: A KERA American Graduate Special,Scottie and five other students will talk about what it takes to finish school. The program airs on KERA TV Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Former KERA staffer Jeff Whittington was executive producer for special projects and Think, as well as host of Anything You Ever Wanted to Know. He also created and launched the KXT Live Sessions series for KXT 91.7.