GED students celebrate program completion

Thirty students participated in a graduation ceremony to receive their GED or high school equivalency (HSE) diplomas from Beaufort County Community College on June 23. Overall, the program saw 66 students earn their high school equivalency, including 16 at Hyde Correctional Institution and one at Tyrrell Prison Work Farm. This was the largest group of graduates since 2018.

The celebration featured ten students who were inducted into the National Adult Education Honor Society, including Mason Jackson, Fran Langley, Ashley Lowe, Jamie Lozano, Alexis Respess, Georgia Scherer, Nelly Grandados-Villamizar, Lili Torres-Idrogo, Israel Martinez-Mendieta, and Diere Madero-Costich.

Graduates Aaron Biggs, Faith Garris, Ashley Lowe, and Mason Jackson also received $500 scholarships from the BCCC Foundation to put toward additional courses through the Division of Continuing Education or college level courses as part of an associate degree program. These programs are currently free through the Beaufort Promise, but their scholarships can be used for textbooks and other expenses related to their education. High school equivalency students are encouraged to enroll in other certification programs, including new digital literacy classes to show skills such as email use, keyboarding, and technology-based job searches.

Hunter Ashley, Aaron Biggs, Utahria Blow, Thomas Boyd, Rebecca Boyd, Bailey Dana, Faith Garris, Terrance Glasper, Donesha Godley, Amber Harding, Charles Ivey, Kodee Jackson, Mason Jackson, Jkyhia Jackson, Blondie Jefferson, Makayla Jones, Angela Jones, Ashley Lowe, Emily Martin, Kaitlyn Martin, Teona McKeel, Alethia Nzokah, Jacquelin Pender, Brandon Sanders, Nathaniel Shaffer, Kashmerias Shepard, Christian Silva, Jacob Soles, Zachary Wilcox, and Ethan Whichard received their diplomas at the ceremony.

English language acquisition instructor Francisco Corichi Jimenez-Garrido earned the EVE Ide Instructor of the Year Award. Corichi was able to boost enrollment in his classes even during the pandemic, started Saturday classes, and has helped his students earn digital literacy certificates to help them in the workplace.

Students in the program work at their own pace with the guidance of an instructor. The program provides a second chance to adults who did not complete high school traditionally. Remote learning during the COVID pandemic derailed some students’ education, but factors such as teen pregnancy and other crises also play a role in students leaving high school.

Students in an HSE class work at different paces to prepare for testing in different academic areas. If they test out of an area, they can move on. BCCC offers free high school equivalency classes in person on its main campus in Washington on Monday-Thursday mornings and in the evenings on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This fall, the college will also hold classes on Saturday mornings to accommodate working students. Depending on interest, the program is offered at the regional centers in Hyde or Washington Counties, and in Aurora in Beaufort County.

The college also offers free English language acquisition classes (ELA) for new English speakers. Classes are offered Monday and Wednesday evenings, Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and Saturday mornings. The Hyde County Davis Center in Engelhard offers classes on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.

BCCC will cover the cost of transportation vouchers for students attending adult basic education, high school equivalency, and English language acquisition classes. Testing fees for high school equivalency are currently free through the Beaufort Promise.

For information about citizenship or high school equivalency, call 252-940-6325.