Tuesday night was an opportunity for Southwestern Community College’s General Equivalency Development (GED) and Adult High School (AHS) graduates to celebrate their accomplishments.
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Nineteen of the 79 students who earned their General Equivalency Development (GED®) through Southwestern Community College received their diplomas in a graduation ceremony on Tuesday, July 30, at the college’s Jackson Campus. Front row, from left: Marcelino Bohorquez; Cassie Genawese; Paz Merino; Bernabe Bohorquez; and Tasha Martinez. Second Row: Hildegarde Crowe; Keri Hatton; Amber Walker; Lisa DuBose; Raelynn Russell; Amanda Buchanan; and Lorenzo Bohorquez. Third Row: Richard Ellis; Tyler Shelton; John Middleton; Christopher Miller; Austin McCall; Luis Huayamave; and Fabian Valenzia. |
It was also a time to get challenged.
“Don’t stop here,” Luis “Nino” Huayamave told his fellow graduates. “This isn’t the end. Let’s keep going.”
The 37-year-old father of six was talking about pursuing collegiate degrees beyond a GED®, but his message is especially timely for anyone who’s been putting off completing their high school equivalency.
Due to new state guidelines, the entire GED® testing process is being overhauled starting on Jan. 2. That means people who’ve completed between one and four of the test’s five current sections will lose that credit and have to start all over again.
Carole Langford, an educational opportunities instructor at SCC, hopes Huayamave’s story will inspire others who’ve been putting off completing their GED® to get back in school and finish just like the 81 students who earned their diplomas (79 earned a GED, two earned an AHS) through SCC this summer.
“We have a lot of students like that,” Langford said. “They start, but then life happens. They don’t always have the encouragement some students have to stay in school. But they come back. I can think of several students who’ve been trying to work on their GED® for three or four years. They come back, and we try to motivate them.
“We sent letters to all the students who’ve started but not completed their GED®,” Langford added. “They’re going to lose all that (after Jan. 2), so we’re encouraging them to come back and pick up where they left off.”
That’s what Huayamave did starting last spring.
A native of New York City, he dropped out of high school in 1994 and started working toward his GED® several times but never saw it through to completion until now.
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During a graduation ceremony Tuesday, July 30, at Southwestern Community College, Dr. Don Tomas – SCC’s president – presents Luis “Nino” Huayamave with his diploma. |
Through SCC’s “Pathways” program, Huayamave completed SCC’s Nursing Assistant certificate program while simultaneously earning his GED® diploma – all at no cost.
“From Day 1, I could see his perseverance,” said Debby Allen, an educational opportunities instructor at SCC. “He was extremely determined to complete it this time. Being in the ‘Pathways’ program, it’s not just the GED®. He was also enrolled in college-level courses at the same time.
“Every single one of our students wanted to complete it, and they did,” Allen continued. “I’m extremely proud of all our graduates. This is the culmination of all their effort.”
Huayamave, who moved to Western North Carolina in 2006, plans to follow his own advice and pursue his Registered Nurse (RN) degree starting in the fall of 2014. For now, he’s working at Grandview Manor as a CNA-II and medication aid technician.
“It’s very hard living from paycheck to paycheck,” said Huayamave, who was cheered on Tuesday by fiancée Dawn Cooper and three of his children: Destiny (age 9), Giovann (10) and Alyssa (11). “Without an education, jobs are hard to find. And the ones you get don’t always work out.”
“Completing my GED® was not an easy task; we had to sacrifice a lot. We were able to have food, a roof over our heads and clothes,” he added. “I did it for my family. The No. 1 thing is I didn’t want my kids turning around and coming to me in a couple years and saying, ‘Why should we have to finish school if you didn’t?’”
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Recent GED® graduate Luis “Nino” Huayamave (seated, left) is surrounded here by, from left: daughter Destiny (age nine), son Giovann (10), daughter Alyssa (11) and fiancée Dawn Cooper. Huayamave was awarded his diploma Tuesday, July 30, at Southwestern’s Jackson Campus. |
For more information about the educational opportunities programs at SCC, contact Devonne Jimison at 828.339.4486 or devonnej@southwesterncc.edu.
LIST OF GRADUATES:
Adult High School
Melody Milner
Jonquil Murphy-Kral
General Education Development
Alma Acevedo
Bruce Anderson
Debra Anderson
Sharon Anderson
Wahnetah Bernhisel
Jacob Bigwitch
Zachary Bombay
Bernabe Borhorquez
Lorenzo Borhorquez
Marcelino Borhorquez
Kimberly Bramlett
Spurgeon Brown
Amanda Buchanan
Johnny Burch
Katee Cagle
Bessie Chambers
Ancella Chism
Hildegarde Crowe
Justin Crowner
Candace Dills
Lisa DuBose
Richard Ellis
Johnathan Ford
Courtney Franklin
Cassie Genawese
Cody George
Dale German
Waylon Hardegree
Troy Harline
Keri Hatton
Steven Hood
Luis Huayamave
Amanda Jefford
Jonathan Jewell
Nicholas Jones
Kamilla Kirby
Megan Klatt
Heath Leggett
Trevis Legion
Tammy Lequire
Heather Lovett
Tasha Martinez
Eva Mashburn
Austin McCall
Paz Merino
Christopher Miller
Clinton Mills
Jeremy Moore
Steven Moore
Alex Morgan
Brittany Nevlud
Josue Otero
Jessica Owl
Travis Parcher
Jessica Pinette
Raymond Ramirez
Corinthian Rattler
Tierra Rattler
Maria Rios-Mendoza
Charlene Rodriguez
Filimon Roman
Wayne Roper
Maria Rubio
Raelynn Russell
Anthony Saunooke
Tyler Shelton
Christian Smith
Joshua Stephens
Pat Thomas
Fabian Valenzia
Amber Walker
Cindy Weed
Nathan Wells
John West
Rachel Wiggins
Nicholas Williamson
Zack Winchester
Jorden Yarborough
