Graduate Story - Eli

Carrying On a Legacy at Omaha Street School

Eli made OSS history as the school's first second-generation alum. His mother was a member of OSS’s very first graduating class and now has her own hairstyling business. She encouraged Eli to consider OSS after he struggled with the pace and academics at one of Omaha’s large high school where he never felt at home.

Eli’s transition to OSS wasn’t easy at first. “Going from a school of 3,000 to 30 was a huge mental game,” he recalls. But soon, Eli found a unique sense of belonging: “Omaha Street School is a community—you get to know everybody, the good and the bad. The teachers care about each student. I learned life lessons here.” 

That close-knit environment, along with caring staff, taught him the power of resilience: “Omaha Street School is caring and they were always there to help you get back up every time you fall. They guided me in the right way.”

Since graduation, Eli’s entrepreneurial spirit has flourished. He now works with his high school friend Cannon at M&M Auto Detailing—a venture built on the confidence and determination he found at OSS. 

Without the support and life lessons from OSS, Eli says, “I would be stagnant.” Instead, he’s moving forward, carrying on not just a family legacy, but the values that make OSS special.