Teirra Brown originally left high school in the 11th grade and enrolled in a program to finish her high school diploma.
It turned out to be an illegitimate 鈥渄iploma mill鈥 that didn鈥檛 follow through on its promise.
At age 33, Brown of Jackson celebrated finally receiving her high school equivalency certificate, formerly known as a GED, at an Adult Education ceremony at 蜜桃影像鈥檚 Raymond Campus on June 22.
鈥淚 want a better life, a better opportunity for my two kids,鈥 she said.
She did so well in the college鈥檚 Adult Education program that she snagged an ACT scholarship worth $1,500 a semester and hopes to eventually enroll in the nursing program.
She was among about 50 adult learners celebrating their accomplishments.
鈥淚 have joined in the journey with several of you. It hasn’t been an easy one for everyone but you did it. You didn’t give up,鈥 said Kristi Johnson, Director of Adult Education and Training. 鈥淎nd you鈥檙e sitting here and you earned it. You earned every bit of it, I hope you鈥檙e proud of it.鈥
Keynote speaker Marvin Moak, Vice President of Facility Management & Auxiliary Services, recalled that he dropped out of high school, 鈥渨hich severely limited opportunities that I was going to have in my life. With a whole lot of prayers from my mom and a lot of action from my dad, I returned to school and later went to college. I became the first in my family to not only attend college but to graduate from college. None of this was easy.
聽鈥淓veryone鈥檚 path is different,鈥 he said. 鈥淵ou are going to be presented opportunities. We have to make a choice, to take them or not. Each of you made the choice to take an opportunity. Don鈥檛 stop. Opportunities taken will lead you to different places in the world, places you can鈥檛 even imagine.鈥
Herman Jensen of Clinton, 18, decided to earn his High School Equivalency certificate through 蜜桃影像鈥 Adult Education program because it was 鈥渜uicker.鈥澛 鈥淚鈥檓 coming back to 蜜桃影像 for Information Technology. I already have a carpentry certificate,鈥 he said.