“When I first took the test, my fiancé Robert encouraged me to keep at it and keep positive,” she said. “He helped me realize that I can do it. My instructors were nice, I enjoyed them. They gave me the knowledge, everything I needed to know.”
Amber’s next step is to take the Work Keys test, and then enroll in classes at the Warren County Career Center’s Greentree Health Science Academy to earn the STNA certificate this summer. “I would like to continue my education while working, and earn my Licensed Practical Nurse degree and keep going in the medical field,” she said. Earning her GED “means I accomplished something. I am proud of myself; I am somebody.”
When asked what she would say to someone who does not have a high school diploma, she said, “You need to do it, just for the satisfaction. It is not as hard as everybody makes it seem to be. They can get a lot of things accomplished with that GED.”
Less than 90 percent of Ohio students graduate from high school each year, with minority students below 60 percent, according to data from the U.S. Department of Education. General Educational Development tests, commonly known as GED, allow a second chance for success. The Warren County Adult Basic and Literacy Education office in Lebanon assisted 469 students during the past 2012-13 school year ranging in age from 18 to 72. Of those, over 100 earned their GED in that year and more are testing this month. They represent 32 countries and 20 languages. Many are already enrolled in college or advanced training. Last year’s follow-up data showed 66 of 105 GED graduates in further education by January 2013 with others planning to start in the spring of 2013. Also, 165 of the 470 students from 2011-12 had entered employment.
At the Warren County ABLE 2013 GED Graduation Celebration, Senior Vice Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents Gary Cates was in attendance. He spoke to the graduates, congratulating them on their hard work and encouraging them to continue their educational path. He shook each hand as the graduates filed up, one by one, to receive their GED certificates. Every graduate was offered a chance to speak, and most thanked their teachers, families and friends for their support and encouragement. Some said they were going on to college and technical training.
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