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More than 1.1 million Georgians over the age of 25 are without their high school or GED® diploma. Many face considerable odds against achieving personal success, including a greater chance of being incarcerated. Their likelihood of suffering from low self-esteem is higher, and most will earn an average of $9,000 less a year than a high school graduate.
It doesn’t have to be that way. Last year, almost 20,000 Georgians changed their lives for the better and improved their job potential by earning their GED diploma. They discovered that a GED diploma is an important step to achieving the opportunity and success that they deserve.
Some of Georgia’s best and brightest GED recipients, as well as the educators and staff who helped them to achieve their goals, were honored by the Technical College System of Georgia’s Office of Adult Education during the state’s annual GED awards luncheon on October 28, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Atlanta. The gathering celebrated the exceptional achievement of the state’s GED recipients and highlighted the outstanding service provided by the staff members of the statewide GED testing centers.
Over 50 teachers and administrators from DeKalb Technical College attended the event. The award categories included the GED Student of the Year for Youth Challenge, Exceptional Adult Georgian in Literacy Education (EAGLE) and the senior citizen Golden EAGLE programs, as well as the GED Award of Exemplary Performance.
“The amount of hard work and perseverance put forth by Georgia’s adult learners to overcome life’s obstacles and obtain their GED is inspiring to us all,” said TCSG Commissioner Ron Jackson. “I congratulate our student winners for their outstanding achievements, and I thank the state’s GED testing center staffs and adult education instructors for their commitment to lifelong learning. As our students will tell you, success can come at any time and any age, and it’s never too late to get your education.”
The Adult Education Program at DeKalb Technical College was the recipient of several awards. Ms. Danielle Jarrett was recognized as the JOB Corps GED Student of the Year and Ms. Debra Nixon was named the 2009 GED Diploma Recipient Outstanding Achievement Award. During her remarks Ms. Nixon thanked DeKalb Technical College for offering free GED classes which gave her the opportunity to study for and pass the GED test. She is currently working as a teacher assistant in the classroom where she was formerly a student. Ms. Nixon plans to attend college and become a teacher. DeKalb Technical College’s GED Testing Program was recognized as one of the Top 3 Large-Sized Testing Centers, testing the largest number of GED Test Takers in 2008.
Last year, the Technical College System of Georgia’s Office of Adult Education enrolled more than 95,000 students in adult education programs. The 19,696 adult education students who earned their GED diploma last year increased their combined earning potential by almost $144 million dollars.
DeKalb Technical College, a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, promotes a student-centered environment for lifelong learning and development, encompassing academic and technical education for employment in a global community. The college has eight centers of learning in DeKalb, Newton, Rockdale, and Morgan counties. Established in 1961, DeKalb Technical College currently has more than 4,000 students enrolled in diploma or degree programs and more than 9,000 in adult education classes. Academic and Technical programs at DeKalb Tech cover more than 100 different occupations. For more information visit our website at www.dekalbtech.edu.
