10/29/2021
As we inch closer to the end of 2021, we can look back on the many triumphs we’ve shared over the past 10 months. However, we also know that times can be tough and discouraging, so we would like you to know that it is possible to overcome your obstacles and reach your goals. Please look for occasional emails from me that feature a success story from one of our own students.
Today, we will hear from Amanda:
Hello everyone!
If I’m going to tell my story about this amazing program, I’m going to start from the beginning. My name is Amanda, and I dropped out of high school when I was 16, and I moved from New York to Pennsylvania. At the time, I thought it was the coolest thing my mom let me do. As I got older, I realized it wasn’t. I had developed a lot of anxiety and depression from staying home doing nothing daily for years. When I turned 19, I got my first job as a housekeeper at a hotel, and I thought things were looking up. I felt I was doing better! After about six years, I grew tired of cleaning toilets. I decided that I wanted to do something more with my life, and I needed my GED to do just that. After debating and fighting with myself for years, telling myself I couldn’t go to GED classes because of my social anxiety, I finally did some research, and I found this online program. I was afraid that I couldn’t do it. My best friend supported me more than my own parents ever have, and she pushed me just enough. While I was in this program, it was hard for me to focus; a lot of the days were dragging. I did math as my first subject, and it took me over a year just to complete the studying. It was hard. My teacher, Susan Wilt, never stopped believing in me. Even when I was having a hard time completing my hours, she always knew I could do it. The compassion, patience, and support she gave me in every single email was absolutely amazing to me. It had such a wonderful impact on me that I can hardly find the words to describe how grateful I am towards her. Susan Wilt, thank you from the bottom of my heart! After long days at work, and trying to find the time to complete my hours … I finally did it. I completed all four subjects, and each GED test, I barely passed. But I did it! I can finally say at the age of 26, I have my GED! I never thought I could do this. When I checked my last GED score results, my heart was pounding. I was so afraid to open the email. My boyfriend tried to calm me down, and we opened the email together. Once I had realized I passed, I felt so relieved I had started crying, especially with my boyfriend's amazing support. It didn’t feel real! If I knew I could do it, I would have done it sooner!
To whomever has read this far and is struggling, don’t give up. Even on the bad days, it’s hard but it will be worth it. Just remember, if you’re having a hard time try to remember you’re just having a bad moment and not a bad day! Set a positive tone for the rest of the day and ace those tests! You’ve got this.
I hope I can be the random stranger that motivates you to achieve your goals and more. Just like my Uber driver did for me. I had to go to Wal-Mart at 9 p.m. at night to grab a new laptop because my old one, for some reason, didn’t pass the system test that is required to take the real GED test online. It was a disaster. But on my way home I was having a conversation about how I was getting a new laptop because I was trying to take my GED online, and I swear he was like an angel in disguise that I didn’t know I needed. He told me he had gotten his GED as well, so he knew how I was feeling. He told me good luck. With an immense amount of support, he also said, “I have no doubt you’ll pass, but if you don’t, no big deal. Just take it over again.” And in that moment it was like the cloud over my head had just dispersed, and I was thinking clearly. I thought, wow, he made that seem so simple. So what if I failed one of my tests? Of course, it’s disappointing and upsetting, but it’s not like you’ve run out of chances, right? You can always take the time you need, brush yourself off, and try harder next time. So do just that, push yourself just a bit harder, and you may surprise yourself. I had let anxiety take advantage of me for the longest time. Don’t forget, you can do this! I truly believe in each one of you reading this.
- Your #1 supporter,
Amanda
