Student Stories
The students in these programs come to Adult Education from a variety of backgrounds and for a variety of reasons. Here are a few of their stories.
At first Darrell had trouble adjusting to his new schedule of working in the day and going to school at night. After all, he had been out of school more than 20 years. But soon, Darrell says, "Things fell into place" and he adjusted to the new routine. Darrell received his GED at graduation on December 12, 2008, with his proud family looking on.
Josh couldn’t find a job when he moved to Tennessee. “I had dropped out of high school in my junior year. When we got to Tennessee and I started looking for a new job, I found out how important that diploma really was. Several employers told me I had enough job experience, but without a diploma or GED, they couldn’t hire me.”
He contacted Blount County Adult Education and did well on his skills assessment. His teachers encouraged him to take the very next GED exam which was only eight days away. “I took their books and studied 24/7.” He passed his GED exam and began getting job offers. But his education didn’t stop with graduation. After starting a new job he continued his studies at Tennessee Technology Center. He recently earned certification in Sterile Processing and now works in the field of medical technology.
Students in a spring, 2009 class gave several reasons for taking a basic computer class.
Joyce just got her own computer and is trying to keep up with her husband and grandchildren.
Biyun wants to email friends in the United States, China, and Japan.
Joyce plans to take additional classes to have the option of starting her own business.