District Five Holds Graduation Ceremony for Adult Education Students
July 1, 2014
IRMO, SC – Hundreds attended a June graduation ceremony for students in Lexington-Richland School District Five’s Adult Education Program.
More than 95 students have completed high school through the program this school term, including 51 who earned diplomas and 45 obtaining GEDs. Eighteen have earned new jobs since completing the program, three have committed to military service, seven already have been admitted into colleges and 10 were inducted into the National Adult Education Honor Society. District Five’s adult education graduation ceremony was held in Dutch Fork High School’s auditorium on June 26.
“Our graduation numbers were above average this year,” said Kathie Greer, director of District Five’s Adult and Community Education Program. “Last year we had 83 completing the program which was then a record for us, and we exceeded that this year. Part of that is due to the flexibility and support our program offers, and the other is that our students have been in the real world and know the value of a high school diploma or GED. We congratulate our class of 2014 and look forward to offering quality services to the community for years to come.”
District Five has offered an adult education program for more than 30 years. The program provides several services including: literacy assistance, ESL (English as a second language) programs, PreGED, GED Fast Track, WorkKeys/Career Readiness Certification, state high school diplomas, college and military entrance exam preparation and computer literacy training.
At the recent graduation ceremony, students cheered and spoke about the importance of what they accomplished.
“To the class of 2014, I say to you that we must not forget that this is only the beginning,” said Anthony Barnes, addressing graduates and family members at the event. “We owe it to ourselves, and we owe it to our families to accomplish goals that we have set. I ask you, the class of 2014, to stop right now, take a deep breath and soak in this day…Who made it? We made it.”
Cortney Lipscomb added, “It takes a courageous person to go back to school. Congratulations graduates. This is our second chance … It has been a long road for me and my journey is not over. I wanted better for myself and my family, but most of all I wanted my son to look down on me and say I didn’t give up on life.”
District Five’s Adult Education Program enrollment has increased by 76 percent in the past three years, officials say. This year the program served approximately 440 students at five program sites. More than 80 people this term earned WorkKeys certifications, a job skills assessment and development system. Eighty-eight families were served by the program’s literacy initiative, which co-chaired a statewide writing project.
Greer says the adult education program continues to change and evolve to fit the needs of all its students. Graduation is a time to celebrate both what the program offers and what students are able to achieve with assistance, she added.
“For many of our students this day is something they feel has been a long time coming and the result of overcoming a lot of barriers, of their dedication and of hard work,” Greer said. “In adult education, we like to say that we specialize in providing second chances. Today, our students have given themselves a second chance at pursuing careers and making their lives and their families’ lives better.”
