For Ashlyn Jones, attending The Dalles’ Riverbend Community School has been nothing short of life-changing.

Jones, 16, of The Dalles, says she used to struggle with her grades. She didn’t get along with her teachers. She didn’t think college was a viable option for her.

Not anymore. Since enrolling at Riverbend in November, Jones is thriving, loves her classes, and is thinking of attending culinary school — a dream she had previously deferred because she didn’t think she would get good enough grades to get in.