At the 2010 GED Administrators Conference Graduates Awards Dinner on July 28 in St. Louis, Missouri, educators honored the achievements of GED-earners. Over 39 million American adults lack a GED credential or high school diploma, and a high school education is quickly becoming not good enough for the evolving job market. President Obama has set the goal of the U.S. having the world's largest share of college graduates by 2020. Clearly, more adults will need to use the GED diploma as a stepping-stone to higher education and lofty goals.
The 2010 Cornelius P. Turner Award was received by Walter L. Smith, Ph.D. Smith dropped out of high school because of a race-related conflict. After serving in the Army, Smith achieved his GED and went on to earn a doctorate. Smith went on to become Florida's first African-American provost at Hillsborough Community College, president of Massachusetts' Roxbury Community College, and president of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.
Three scholarships were sponsored by the GED Testing Service and Educational Testing Service/Prometric, Inc. to help GED-earners go on to higher education. Melissa N. Helm, a wife and mother who worked at a fast food restaurant, earned a $3,000 scholarship. Melissa's children were her reason for going back to earn her GED credential. Helm is enrolled in a pre-nursing program at Mineral Area College, Missouri, and her scholarship will help her toward her nursing degree.
Kenneth Randall Ross earned a $3,000 scholarship as well. Ross was a foster child struggling with bipolar disorder and behavioral issues. When Ross discovered he was going to become a father, he took the GED Test. College is his path to becoming a private duty nurse for children with significant medical needs.
Cori Stewart, who dropped out of high school because she was pregnant, earned a $3,000 scholarship. In low-paying restaurant jobs with a growing family, Stewart earned her GED credential with the help of her grandmother, a GED instructor. She earned an associate of science degree in psychology and then transferred to Drury University in Missouri to study education and psychology. Her goal is to become a teacher.
A $2,500 scholarship was awarded to Flora Bradley in partnership with the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). This scholarship is awarded to a GED recipient currently enrolled in a bachelors degree nursing program. After working three jobs to support herself, Bradley studied for and passed the GED Tests and is currently in the bachelor of science in nursing program at the University of Missouri--Kansas City. Bradley has been on the honor roll four times and plans to specialize in pediatrics.
According to the report "Crossing the Bridge: GED Credentials and Postsecondary Educational Outcomes" by the GED Testing Service, 71.5 percent of 2003 GED-earners had goals involving post-secondary education. Scholarships are an important element in encouraging GED-earners to pursue and achieve those goals.
The GED Test is a path to higher education for adults who did not finish high school. According to the GED Testing Service, 98 percent of colleges and universities and 96 percent of employers accept the GED credential as equivalent to a high school degree. The GED Test measures students' skills in math, reading, writing, science, and social studies, with an emphasis on critical thinking skills.
GED and GED Testing Service are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). Use of the GED trademark does not imply support or endorsement by ACE.
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