'Just don't give up'

CASTALIA — Despite the challenges of homeschooling, moving across the country and double amputation, Morganne Carr has completed her requirements to graduate from Townsend Community School. Morganne was put up for adoption in Kazakhstan, a country in Europe and Asia located south of Russia, when she was 2 years old. She and her older three siblings — Nik Carr, Haydn Carr and Ryanne Carr, who are also from Kazakhstan but not blood relatives — met their parents, Katrina Carr and Michael Carr, from Texas. "I'm not 100% sure what led them to adopt from Kazakhstan, but all I know is they were drawn by God to adopt," Morganne said. Life in the U.S. Once settled in their new home in Texas, Morganne began learning about life and receiving her education under the same roof. She was homeschooled through her early school years. "My mom just decided to homeschool the four of us because me and my sister Ryanne both are amputees," Morganne said. Ryanne is a double amputee above the knee, while Morganne, at this time, was a single amputee below the knee. Morganne was born with amniotic band syndrome. This is when a band in a mother's stomach wraps around a baby's body and cuts off blood circulation and leads to malformations and amputations. "I was born without one foot, and the other foot was very malformed," Morganne said. "We did our best to save it, but it just caused a lot of pain, so we had it amputated in 2019." Morganne and her sister had frequent medical appointments and surgeries growing up. She also has a learning disability, so she said it made sense for her and her siblings to learn from home. "Being homeschooled was really nice because my mom knew how to teach me with my learning disabilities," Morganne said. "We just did different methods of teaching and we often took trips and we would go to like historical places and stuff like that." Making friends When she hit fifth grade, Morganne transferred to a public school in Texas. "The transition was difficult, and I struggled to find a reliable group of people I felt comfortable with," Morganne said. Because she struggled to find her pack, she moved to another school in Texas for seventh through tenth grade. In the same years, she faced another hardship. "In ninth grade, I developed a nasty bone infection that took a year and a half to fully heal," Morganne said. "Unfortunately, my school did not allow me the time I needed to truly heal and recover." Finding her place At the end of her 10th-grade year, Morganne and her family moved to Ohio. They reside in Bellevue today. When they arrived, she enrolled in Townsend Community School. She said Townsend stood out for its flexibility. The school could accommodate her needs while giving her a proper education. "Once I discovered I could learn from home, for half of my attendance, and still receive quality education, it was all but decided," Morganne said. "Townsend has been such a supportive school, and it has propelled me through my final years of education. Additionally, I finally found a great group of friends who accept me as I am." Morganne said the staff at Townsend was everything she needed. "They provided me with enough support and care that I was able to graduate this spring; something I was not even sure was possible," Morganne said. "Townsend has been everything I needed, and I am so grateful I received the opportunity to receive my education there." Townsend Community School's superintendent, Ryan Bohn, said Morganne is amazing and brings a smile to everyone around. "She is also a talented chess player," Bohn said. "Her and I have played chess a few times over the past couple of years, and she did beat me once. With her positive attitude and strong work ethic, she has a bright future ahead of her." To those working toward a goal such as completing an education while also going through a challenge, Morganne said: "Just don't give up," She said. "No matter what life throws at you, you are stronger than you believe." What is Townsend? Townsend Community School is a dropout prevention and credit recovery high school. Students work on courses at their own pace, meaning students can graduate any time of the year. "Whenever a student has completed all of their graduation requirements, they become a graduate," Bohn said. "Whether it is October, February, May, etc." The district serves students in six counties: Erie, Huron, Lorain, Ottawa, Sandusky and Seneca. So far, Townsend has had 115 students who were approved for graduation this school year, but that number grows every day. He expects a few more students to complete their requirements and reach the same goal through the summer months. "Our students also have the opportunity to continue working over the summer and making progress in their courses," Bohn said. "This is very helpful for students who are working on credit recovery, or even trying to get ahead." Townsend Community School graduates 2025 • 115 graduates so far — 18% going to college — 45% entering the workforce — 15% furthering adult education — 7% enlisting in the military — 15% undecided