GED: The Key to Better Jobs and Higher Education
Recently, a student wrote on a GED message board: "I was told over and over again when I was growing up that I am stupid and don't amount to anything." This student's brother tells her that only losers get a GED, and that if she wasn't a loser, she would have finished high school. Unfortunately, this is the kind of experience that many young people have in life. Without support, they fail in high school and drop out, leaving millions of American adults with no high school diploma. The brother's response puts her in a no-win situation, basically saying that she's closed all the doors open to her, and now she can only be a "loser."
Far from being something for "losers," the GED is a chance for people to turn their lives around. Staying in the same place, with a low paying job, or no job at all, and low self-esteem is not the answer. The GED is the path to get back on track, and one of the best roads it can lead to is college.
Recently, three students who earned their GEDs at New Mexico State University were profiled in the Cibola Beacon. All three have gone on to succeed in college, on their ways to new careers. Stefanie Grandjean, mother of a seven-year-old daughter, is studying to become a nurse with a graduate degree, as well as teaching math to other students studying for their GEDs.
Arnold Davis also works for the GED program where he studied for his GED. He is studying for a degree in automotive mechanics and is active in student government. His future goals include earning a degree in social work. Sandra Daily, who earned her GED in 2006, already has an AA in general studies and is planning to get a degree in fine arts. Over the course of three months, she went from grade-school level to being ready for college.
The GED is a step forward, toward more confidence, higher education, and better jobs. It is a path toward tearing down those walls built up by voices saying, "You're stupid." Just succeeding at the GED goes a long way toward students regaining belief in themselves.
See the Cibola Beacon article here: http://www.cibolabeacon.com/articles/2009/11/05/features/doc4af36314ae42e018756565.txt
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