I’ve been teaching at SWOCC since the fall term. Most of my teaching so far has been with the students who want to earn their General Educational Development diplomas, also called the GED.

I, myself, have an associate’s degree from a community college in MD, a bachelor’s degree in English Education from the U. of MD, and a master’s degree in special education from Johns Hopkins University. I have been a secondary educator for more than two decades, and I have been an instructor in teacher education at several colleges and universities. So, I know what I’m talking about when I tell you that the GED is not an easy test and should not be regarded as earning something less than a high school diploma.

Can you imagine how hard it is to return to a classroom after leaving it more than three decades ago to join the military, go to work on the family farm, or start a family? Some of my “senior” students are having to learn how to learn all over again. Younger students must juggle working full-time jobs, taking care of their children, and attending classes in the evenings. Even younger students have left high school for various reasons but realize that they need some kind of diploma to find better employment or enter post-secondary schools or training programs. I have Hispanic students who study for the GED in Spanish; I have students who want to improve their scores on the Civil Service Exam or the military entrance exam (ASVAB); and I have students who just want to learn basic skills because they need these skills now to function as independent adults in our community.

I want to publicly share my admiration for these students who are struggling to better themselves academically, vocationally, socially, and personally. Their efforts to learn amaze me during every class session.

Recently, I returned an essay to a “senior” student. I had put three tiny gold stars on her paper for her good work. When she received her paper, she teared-up saying, “I have never gotten a gold star in school before.”

It’s never too late to earn a gold star. Join us at SWOCC by registering for the ABE/GED courses. English as a Second Language (ESL) classes may also be available.

If you have earned a GED and found success in the community, I invite you to come speak to these students to support them in their commitment to furthering their education. If you would like to help more students earn gold stars, you can support us by donating funds for instructional materials so that we can include more technology in our program and offer more instructional materials at various ability levels to our students. All education budgets are tight, so personal and business donations will help me to enhance this program that is so vital to our community.

Contact kjones@socc.edu for more information about ABE/GED/ESL offerings here in Brookings.