Many who drop out return to get diplomas

GED offers former students another chance

Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2008

However, by the third marking period of that year her pregnancy had caught up with her — she could no longer manage her classes and missed too many days. So Johnson dropped out of school.

Last week, more than a dozen years since that life-changing decision and now with four of her own children (whom she said are all honors students), Johnson walked on stage to receive a Maryland high school diploma, thanks to passing the GED test.

"Having the closure" is the best part of finally earning the degree, Johnson said.

The 31-year-old said she was never embarrassed about not having graduated, but did feel incomplete. Her drive to take courses at the College of Southern Maryland meant she needed the high school diploma first, so she signed up to take the local class to prepare for the GED test.

Johnson attended school in Calvert County in 1995 when she dropped out along with 110 classmates there. She moved to St. Mary's about a decade ago.

In 1995 there were also 144 St. Mary's high school students who dropped out, about 3.7 percent of the high school population. Nearly 2,000 more have dropped out of St. Mary's County's three public high schools since that year, including 163, or 2.8 percent of last year's high school students.

Last week Johnson's family and friends cheered her on as she walked onstage and received her high school diploma from Superintendent Michael Martirano. Afterward those same friends and family posed for pictures with her in the front hallway at Leonardtown High School where the graduation ceremony, complete with tasseled caps and gowns, takes place each fall. Johnson was among about two dozen who received their state high school diplomas that night. Another was Jordan Welsh, who as a junior two years ago dropped out because "I got caught up in the wrong group," some of whom had also dropped out.

For a year and a half, Welsh, who turned 19 the day after the graduation ceremony last week, said he "was just basically hanging out with friends … wasn't really concerned about money or what my responsibilities were." Living with his grandparents but hanging out with new friends, he came to a new outlook. "I realized you can't do anything without your diploma," he said.

Melinda Brown, supervisor of the adult education/GED program offered by the St. Mary's public schools, said about 300 students, including 30 or 40 students who speak English as a second language, participate in the program each year. About 50 of those earn their diplomas.

Although most students are age 18 to 24, Brown said people of all ages participate in the program, including a 70-year-old retired woman several years ago.

While many students drop out based on choices they made, for some it's beyond their control.

"I got sick and had to leave" last winter, midway through her senior year, Jessica Elkins said. Even though she was in honors classes, she had missed too many days because of doctor appointments and had to drop out. Her mother, Rikke Elkins, works with the GED program and encouraged the 18-year-old to take the class and test. The teenager took the test this fall and scored high. "I was a little rocky on the math but besides the math it was fairly easy," Elkins said. "If you're having problems and can't graduate for whatever reason, it's a good option," she said. "It's a great program and it doesn't take too long."She plans to use her diploma to get into the College of Southern Maryland, where she hopes to pursue nursing and writing.

jyeatman@somdnews.com