Waiting for the results.
A lot of attention has focused on the Ward Home teens graduating high school this year and moving on to the next stage of their education.
Passing the GED, or General Educational Development Test, is another way to advance to post-secondary education. The test includes five subject areas: mathematics; language arts—reading, language arts—writing (including essay), science and social studies. For some foster teens, this is the most appropriate option for earning a high school diploma.
William is a perfect example. He entered the foster care system at age 15, and dropped out of school in the eighth grade. When he moved into the East McKeesport building last year, at age 18, he was too old to enroll in the ninth grade. However, William understood that setting and working toward educational goals was mandatory.
That’s why last week, after months and months of study, Will took the GED during two nerve-wracking days. His preparation included taking the bus to attend classes offered through the Mon Valley Bridge program in McKeesport, working with a tutor on Saturdays and, of course, hitting the books.
Along the way, Direct Care Specialists Michelle Pritchard and Tamika Simpson supported his progress.
“They found the tutor for me. Sometimes they drove me to the classes,” William says. “They made me study. If Miss Tamika and Miss Michelle are on your back about something, you are going to do it.”
Just as important, he says, they helped him to “keep my head up. I couldn’t sleep the night before the test and they kept encouraging me, telling me ‘you can do this.’”
Now William must wait for three to six long weeks to learn the results. Once he passes the GED, he plans to enroll at Community College of Allegheny County to pursue a degree in business.
