Academics
Wake Tech Holds Spring GED and Adult High School Graduation
RALEIGH, N.C. (May 5, 2014) - Excited graduates celebrated a long-deferred graduation Monday night, as Wake Tech Community College held its spring GED® and Adult High School graduation ceremony. More than 200 students earned credentials, and 72 participated in the event on Wake Tech’s main campus.
Among the student speakers was Bettie Goldston, who turned to Wake Tech to complete her high school credentials after 35 years with ConAgra Foods. After an explosion in the company’s Garner plant in 2009, ConAgra relocated to another state, and Goldston took it as a sign: “It was time for me to go back to school,” she said. “I want to thank my Wake Tech instructors for pushing me to accomplish a dream.” She now has plans to earn a degree in Business Administration.
Another graduate, Alba Moradel, earned her GED credential through the High School Equivalency Program (HEP) funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The program supports migrant agricultural workers and their families. Moradel dropped out of school in the ninth grade and saw no chance to escape the poverty her family lived in. “But the hope to someday finish school always stayed with me,” she says, “and today I am a graduate!”
The ceremony honored 204 students who completed the GED® test, including 66 HEP graduates. Another 22 students received Adult High School diplomas, designed for students who leave high school needing only five credits (or fewer) to graduate.
Wake Tech Dean Monica Gemperlein encouraged graduates to keep pursuing higher education. “You have proven that you have the commitment and determination to achieve goals,” Gemperlein said. “You are capable of excelling, and Wake Tech is here to help you fulfill your dreams.” Many graduates will go on to enroll at Wake Tech in the fall.
Wake Tech has the largest GED program in the state. In 2013, a record 1,005 students graduated from the program – more students than a large public school in Wake County. For more information about Wake Tech’s College and Career Readiness Division, which administers the GED® test and Adult High School program, visit ccr.waketech.edu.
