Sydney Goth works for a living.
That’s not unusual, except that she’s a 17-year-old senior at La CrossRoads High School.
“Usually I go home from school for an hour or two, and then I go to work,” Goth said. “I work about five days a week. I only have a few hours to myself.”
Circumstance doesn’t leave her many options. She was compelled to walk away from an unstable family situation, and her determination to pursue an independent, productive life has earned her a nomination for the La Crosse Tribune’s Extra Effort Award.
To say Goth was forced to grow up early is an understatement. Both of her parents are methamphetamine users, which led to periods when her family lacked permanent shelter. She said her two sisters and her mother often “couch surfed” with extended family, some of whom had drug issues and other legal problems of their own.
While Goth maintains a relationship with her mother, she grew up barely knowing her father.
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“My dad has always been using, and he was never really in the house,” Goth said. “He has been locked up a lot, so he’s never really been involved. ... There have been long time periods when he wasn’t there at all.”
Despite her precarious home life, Goth found a way to move forward in school.
“All through elementary school, I was a good student,” she said. “In middle school I acted out a little bit, but it wasn’t ever too bad.”
She said her motivation suffered during her freshman year, when she failed a class and nearly failed several others. That’s when La CrossRoads rejuvenated her outlook on school. The school is located within La Crosse Logan High School and serves students who are at risk of not graduating with their class.
La CrossRoads coordinator Dorothy Hart said the school is a viable alternative for students like Goth. Students remain in the same classroom all day, and the school day allows students to finish their homework before they leave.
“(Students) are getting the same curriculum and same discipline as any other student,” Hart said.
The structure at La CrosseRoads appealed to Goth.
“I came to La CrossRoads because I planned on just doing my courses online, but then I thought La CrossRoads would be a good fit for me,” Goth said. “It has helped so much. I haven’t talked back to any teachers or anything like that since probably my sophomore year.”
Hart admitted that Goth “was a little sassy” when she first enrolled but quickly embraced her new situation and grew into a student who does more than just get by. She has become a straight-A student and has transitioned into taking traditional classes at Logan while remaining enrolled at La CrossRoads.
“Sydney came to us her sophomore year ... and she had a little attitude and was a little bossy,” Hart said. “I’ve watched her blossom into someone who has asked for harder classes and has done well.”
Goth stays on top of her academics while helping other students with their work.
“If we’re all busy and we need somebody to help another student, she’s my go-to,” Hart said.
Goth has lived with her boyfriend since last summer and said the two “kind of support each other.” She said living independently actually helps her with school by forcing her to carefully budget her time and money.
She said witnessing drug abuse and its effects has had a profound effect on her life.
“It pushes me to be the opposite,” she said. “I see exactly what shouldn’t be done, and I take that in. I’m like, ‘I can’t be like that.’”
Hart said Goth’s life experiences have taught her responsibility both inside and outside the classroom.
“Growing up, she didn’t have much, so she knows what it’s like not to have a bed to sleep in and not to have enough food,” Hart said.
Goth will have enough credits for her diploma in January, and she’ll participate in the May 27 commencement. She plans to enroll at Western Technical College next fall before transferring to Winona State University. Her ultimate goal is to earn a master’s degree in school counseling and become an elementary guidance counselor.
Hart said Goth is an inspiration for other students.
“A lot of kids with the situation she has been dealt would go the opposite way. They would give up — ‘why bother?’ — and not really be involved in anything,” Hart said. “She has became a role model for all of us.”
In Photos: Central High School commencement
Madisen Greene recieves her diploma
Landon Manock fist bumps with a classmate
Class president Julia Her makes opening remarks
Stacked diplomas
Retiring principal Troy McDonald delivers his final commencement message to students.
Aaliyah Bowman gets a hug from a friend
Graduates file into the arena
Central High school Commencement
Central High school Commencement
Commencecenment volunteer Jada Johnson, a Central Jr., sits robed in white among the graduates.
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