The Richmonder 25: Retirement won't stop Dr. Joann Henry's passion for education

When Dr. Joann Henry started Dream Academy in 2010, it was the continuation of a promise she had made to herself many years prior. 

Henry spent decades working in high school education – first as a teacher and later as an assistant principal for Richmond Public Schools – where she saw students dropping out of school for one reason or another: pregnancy, bullying, family responsibilities, or just falling behind. At the time, she was also working on her doctorate in Education Leadership, but became committed to helping students who had left school early get their diplomas. 

She recalled one particular conversation with a student who had been in the hall for the majority of the school day, who expressed dislike for school. When she asked him what he dreamed of being one day, he told her, “‘I don’t got a dream.’”

“From that conversation, I said, ‘When I retire, I’m gonna open up a school,’” she said. “So, I called it Dream Academy.” 

Using her retirement savings and money from her in-laws, Henry founded the Richmond-based Dream Academy, an adult high school diploma program designed to help those who were unable to complete their high school education. The academy officially launched in 2012 and now serves students across the state. (Dream Academy is not affiliated with RPS.) 

When it opened, there were only five students enrolled, including an 81-year-old woman whom Henry described as “working like nobody’s business” to get the diploma she had gone decades without. 

Since 2012, enrollment has increased considerably; as of June, 920 people have received their high school diploma through Dream Academy. 

There is no age limit – students must be over the age of 17, though – and anyone who hasn’t received their high school diploma is eligible to apply. Henry said she’s seen all kinds of people, each with their own motivation. 

“They say, ‘I promised my mama that I was gonna get my high school diploma,’” she said. “‘My kids are graduating, and they're going to college in different places, so I told them it's my turn now.’”

Funding

Despite the rise in numbers, Henry has never received a paycheck for her work, as the budget has never been big enough to support that. Instead, tuition goes back into the school to pay for tutors, supplies and overall operating expenses.

While Henry said she looks forward to when there’s room in the budget for her to get paid, her ultimate priority is keeping access affordable. She noted that there have been times a student has called her to say they won’t be able to complete the coursework in one year, but couldn't afford to pay for another year. If the student returns to complete their diploma within the following year, she won’t charge them again. 

“I will let them complete what they started doing, because I understand,” she explained. “These people don't have money. These are people really working little jobs, trying to get somewhere. I'm not out to cheat people, I'm out to help them.”

'I want my students to have the best'

This philosophy is what led her to offer a high school diploma program rather than a GED. The coursework’s self-paced format draws from her years as a high school administrator. A key design point that she felt was vital was that students would pick up where they left off and not have to potentially repeat years of coursework. Henry recalled that learning they would have to start over was a big deterrent for the students she worked with before she retired.

“They’re not gonna want to come in to school,” she explained. “Most people, the reason they drop out of school is because they don’t want to be sitting in class all day, doing the same thing over and over and over.”

Personal motivation

Henry makes it a point to keep up with students even after they’ve graduated. 

“We get a lot of letters from students saying thank you, and I made a difference in their life,” she said. 

She has seen graduates go to college – something that many students believed wasn’t possible for them – get better jobs, serve in the military and join the nursing field. These successes are what continue to motivate her more than a decade after starting the program.

“It just makes me feel good to know that their dreams are being answered through Dream Academy,” she said. “I know I'm needed in the community, and that's the best way to help, and that's my reward.”

Contact Intern Haidyn Brockelman at hbrockelman@richmonder.org.

Series sponsor:

Proud to call Richmond home, Estes is driven by people who go the extra mile — every day, for every customer. As the nation’s largest privately held freight carrier and a Richmond Top Workplace, we’re always looking for great people to join our team.