GED instructor Lindsey Baker, left, presents an award to GED Student of the Year Jamie Walker.
GED instructor Lindsey Baker, right, presents an award to GED Student of the Year Katy Dodd.
Catoosa Citizens for Literacy awards recent GED graduates. From left are Ringgold City Councilman Randall Franks, GED Student of the Year Katy Dodd, Catoosa Citizens for Literacy Chair Phil Ledbetter, GED Student of the Year Jamie Walker, Adult Education GED lead teacher site manager Lindsey Baker, GED graduate/guest speaker Emily Connell, Catoosa Citizens for Literacy Director Shirley Smith and Superior Court Judge Ralph Van Pelt.Catoosa Citizens for Literacy is celebrating several milestones, including two recent GED graduate students who both earned a $500 scholarship through the program.
Jamie Walker and Katy Dodd were named GED Students of the Year in a recent ceremony, earning them each a $500 scholarship. Walker plans to pursue graphic arts in college and Dodd plans to pursue a degree in biology and physical therapy.
"My passions grew as I got older," said Walker. "At first I wanted to be a conceptual artist for game design, but coding did not fit my interest. I wanted to go into comic book illustration. Being a comic book designer, I would like to work with Marvel or DC Comics."
Dodd said after being in a bad car accident that affected her and her friends, she got pregnant at age 16 and never completed her basic schooling - until now.
"My child saved my life and kept me from going down a path that would not have been retrievable," said Dodd.
Her anticipated college degree should solidify her new path. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that the average earnings for a young adult working full time vary wildly based on the level of basic education completed: $49,900 for bachelor's degree holders; $30,000 for those who didn't go beyond high school; and $25,000 for dropouts.
Thirty percent of high school dropouts don't get a GED and only 2 percent graduate from college, according to Catoosa Citizens for Literacy Director Shirley Smith, but those statistics didn't intimidate Emily Connell. Now completing her first year of college with a 4.0, she was the GED Student of the Year at the Catoosa County Learning Center, where CCFL operates, during her time in the program.
She also received the EAGLE Award, which stands for Exceptional Adult Georgian in Literacy Education. Offered by the Technical College System of Georgia, the award honors "students who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in statewide adult education classes."
Connell, who recently received another scholarship from the center for $500, was the guest speaker at CCFL's recent awards ceremony. She is now attending Georgia Northwestern Technical College for social work.
"Ms. Lindsey made me feel good about my test scores," said Connell, referring to GED instructor Lindsey Baker. "Ms. Lindsey and the students cared about me. I was real ashamed that I did not have a high school diploma and most people did not know it. I quit school in the 10th grade. Lindsey said to keep on going even when I whined. All the sudden I was not ashamed to have a GED.
"[The best part is] I will never have to worry now about who will provide for my son," the single mother added.