It’s a long way to your bootstraps...
When I was a little kid and tried the time-honored whine of “I don’t wanna go to school,” my mother quickly explained that if I did not go to school, then she and my daddy would be taken to jail. I was told that it was “the law” that all children attend school and irresponsible parents would be incarcerated for their crime.
I really don’t know if it is a law, but it should be. And dropping out should just not be permitted.
In a perfect world, that is.
But the world is messy and stuff happens and kids do drop out. Too many kids in fact.
I attended the commencement exercises of the 2010 Clarendon County Adult Education class and I have to tell you, I was impressed.
Here were 30 adults who, for whatever reason, left the educational system only to finally realize that success and prosperity required a high school diploma.
That could not have been easy. Dropouts bear the weight of a thousand burdens on their shoulders.
As an adult, there was probably no parent to wake you up in the morning, maybe even with a hot breakfast waiting for you.
As an adult, there was no big yellow bus to get you there.
But, as adults, these 30 students were there by their own choice and I am willing to bet, brought a higher level of commitment to their education than they had ever had before.
At one portion of the program, several graduates stood to speak.
Sara Delaney rose to state with great confidence: “I am so happy to not be one of those teen mother statistics.”
Cypriani Davis thanked his teachers for staying on him. “They made me see that I could be a success, even when I didn’t believe it.
Several grads, like Brittany Blanding and Kaitlyn McCartney, and I am sure several others, have already begun their post-GED educations as students at Central Carolina.
Their newfound confidence will take them farther than their new high school diplomas.
We seem to tend to look down our noses at those who take less than a traditional path to success and we should not. If we all marched on the same path it sure would get crowded.
The pride on the faces of the instructors that took the stage – Beverly Felder, Iva Jane Ham, Jane Benton and Jan Toner – was immeasurable. As each grad received their diploma, they were handed a long stem rose – yellow, the color signifying enduring friendship. What they have forged in their struggles to become high school grads was obviously more than the usual teacher-student relationship. Oh yeah, there were lots of hugs on that stage too.
More than two-thirds of Friday night’s grads also acquired their Work Keys certification, meaning they have already passed a major pre-employment test that many businesses in our region require.
“With these new credentials, you have obtained choices you may have never possessed before,” said Instructor Jan Toner. “You have chosen success.”
To these 30 adults, your reaching down and pulling yourself up by your bootstraps speaks volumes about your commitment and belief in yourself. The world awaits your input as a productive citizen.
I bet I can speak for your community in saying, “Job well done … we are so proud of each of you. Now go get ‘em!”
