Upon arriving at Valley High School in Las Vegas, Haley, Kassidy, and Sierra, the triplets, were disinterested in academics and defensive towards authority figures. They stuck together and often missed school, which contributed to their failing grades.
However, instead of dismissing them, the school introduced them to the GEAR UP Program, a federal initiative designed to support low-income students in their academic endeavors.
The GEAR UP Program provided the triplets with the skills and encouragement they needed to prepare for postsecondary education. Through their interaction with the program’s staff, the triplets began to feel more comfortable and safe at school.
They began to improve both academically and emotionally. The more they felt safe with the GEAR UP staff, the more they opened up about their difficult past.
It turns out that the triplets had suffered unimaginable hardship. They lost their mother when they were just three years old. Their father was sent to prison when they were in the 6th grade, leaving them to live with a grandmother who did not believe in education.
They didn’t go to school until they were eight years old. When their father was released from prison, they moved back in with him, but he would leave the young girls alone for weeks at a time.
Finally, the girls were removed from their father’s custody when their home was involved in a shooting while he was gone. They moved in with their grandparents, who were terribly neglectful. The triplets spent portions of their lives homeless, without food, clothing, and transportation.
Despite the triplets’ unimaginable hardships, they persevered. With the help of their GEAR UP teachers, they worked their way through high school, all the way to graduation.
All three girls raised and maintained their GPA above 3.0 while enrolled in advanced courses, participating in school activities, and working jobs as “unaccompanied minors.”
Their story inspired the FOX5 Surprise Squad to surprise them at their graduation ceremony. The Yeckes Triplets, as they are known, were pulled aside after receiving their diplomas. The entire school watched as they were given the surprise of their life.
The girls’ incredible story of survival touched the hearts of many, and their achievement was celebrated with joy and admiration.