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Keri Hatton (left) and Amber Millsaps Walker received their GED® diplomas on Tuesday, July 30, at Southwestern Community College’s Jackson Campus. |
BRYSON CITY Keri Hatton’s motivations for enrolling in the College and Career Readiness program may seem small.
They’re growing really fast though.
Hatton’s children – Braxton, Bailey and Briar – are ages five, two and one respectively.
“Basically, I want to get a better job and give my family a better life,” said Hatton, who is 22 and married to Derrick. “I never finished high school, and I kick myself about that every single day. But now I’ve got my GED®, and I’m working toward getting my college readiness certification.”
Hatton was one of five students to earn a GED® through Southwestern Community College’s Swain Center last month. The others were Amber Millsaps Walker, Nicholas Jones, Cody George and Josue Otero.
The mission of SCC’s educational opportunities GED® classes has expanded to encompass the support needed to help students attain their college and career aspirations.
To that end, Hatton hopes to pursue an associate’s degree at SCC in the spring.
She’s currently deciding between becoming a substitute teacher or possibly a nurse. Whatever she does, though, she wants to work Mondays through Fridays.
Her reasoning for that is the same as her inspiration for furthering her education in the first place.
“I don’t want to work weekends because I want to be able to spend time with my kids,” she said.Through Southwestern Community College’s College and Career Readiness program, Keri Hatton of Swain County recently completed her GED® and is working toward her Career Readiness Certification.
For more information about the College and Career Readiness program at SCC’s Swain Center, contact Yvonne Price at 828.366.2002 or yprice@southwesterncc.edu.
