TRACY – Amanda Spencer never thought she would see the day she would earn her high school diploma after leaving an area high school in 2010. That changed on Monday when the Lodi resident was awarded a diploma from Delta Charter Online, a new Tracy-based charter school authorized by New Jerusalem Elementary School District. 

Spencer was awarded her diploma by Jeff Tilton, Superintendent of Charter Schools, and David Thoming, Superintendent of NJESD, in a small ceremony at the NJESD District Office. 

“I don’t know who was more excited about this, Amanda or us,” said Tilton, who authored the charter petition. 

Spencer is the first graduate of “Delta Keys,” a program designed to serve high school dropout adults who qualify through a partnership with the Workforce Investment Act’s San Joaquin WorkNet. 

Spencer spent most of her high school years in and out of hospitals due to a string of illnesses and surgeries. She passed the California High Exit Examinations as a student at Lodi High School. Just eight credits shy from graduating with her class in 2010, Spencer lost her motivation to continue and dropped out of adult school after finishing one class, she stated following the ceremony. 

Spencer, whose overall high school grade point average was 3.05, plans to enroll into San Joaquin Delta College.