Acceleration Academies are Serving the Students Society Wrote off

By Kelli Campbell
09/02/2025 – Rachelle Dene Poth’s Blog

I grew up in a small town in rural Illinois. Neither of my parents has a high school diploma, so I am a first-generation high school graduate. Having that diploma opened a world of possibilities to me that would otherwise have been closed, including going on to earn a college degree, which then led to a terrific career and becoming the CEO of Acceleration Academies.

It was my high school diploma that put me on that path to giving back through a career dedicated to improving education. I began decades ago working on products that brought online educational video into the classroom. Now, I have the privilege of helping young people who, like me, face and overcome barriers impeding their education.

I love telling the story about growing up in rural Illinois to graduation candidates attending our Acceleration Academies. Because I want every young person to know they have a path open to them achieving their own dreams, I say to them, “I am a first-generation high school graduate, and now I’m a CEO. You can be anything you want to be!”…Read more from Kelli Campbell at Rachelle Dene Poth’s blog.