A personal story on Graduation.
In 2000, my cousin Robert and I, fed up with high school and our horrible family situations, both dropped out of the 10th grade and decided to pursue a GED.
For those of you who don't know, trying to get a GED can sometimes be a complicated process. There's age requirements, location concerns, and lots of other things; figuring out where and how to take classes, when they start, how to juggle that with your job and family problems, etc. It's rough.
We went to one school together to ask when GED classes start and whether we might be able to take placement exams. We introduced ourselves to the counselor at Monroe High School in the Bronx, and mentioned we were cousins.
With a classic snide remark, she asked if dropping out of high school was a "family tradition". We were dumbfounded, but not the least bit surprised; we were used to dismissive comments like that from administrators in our fucked up high schools.
Then, I don't remember the exact words, but she suggested that there wouldn't be any moral concerns on her part because people with GEDs never accomplished much anyway.
It might seem shocking, but this is a 100% true story. I'd completely forgotten about it though, until today, when my cousin Robert called to congratulate me on my graduation and said that we had some unfinished business at Monroe High School. Turns out that counselor still works there.
Robert earned his Associate's Degree in Computer Science, and I just earned by Bachelor's in Africana Studies from Vassar College. In what will no doubt be a craaaaaazy move, we're planning on going to this woman with our diplomas and reminding her of what she said to us 8 years ago.
In my typically timid, yet excited tone, I suggested she wouldn't remember us. Robert said "Oh, she's going to by the time we finish this chat".
We haven't decided whether we'll actually wear our caps and gowns to her office yet, but we'll definitely be there with our diplomas in hand.
For those of you who don't know, trying to get a GED can sometimes be a complicated process. There's age requirements, location concerns, and lots of other things; figuring out where and how to take classes, when they start, how to juggle that with your job and family problems, etc. It's rough.
We went to one school together to ask when GED classes start and whether we might be able to take placement exams. We introduced ourselves to the counselor at Monroe High School in the Bronx, and mentioned we were cousins.
With a classic snide remark, she asked if dropping out of high school was a "family tradition". We were dumbfounded, but not the least bit surprised; we were used to dismissive comments like that from administrators in our fucked up high schools.
Then, I don't remember the exact words, but she suggested that there wouldn't be any moral concerns on her part because people with GEDs never accomplished much anyway.
It might seem shocking, but this is a 100% true story. I'd completely forgotten about it though, until today, when my cousin Robert called to congratulate me on my graduation and said that we had some unfinished business at Monroe High School. Turns out that counselor still works there.
Robert earned his Associate's Degree in Computer Science, and I just earned by Bachelor's in Africana Studies from Vassar College. In what will no doubt be a craaaaaazy move, we're planning on going to this woman with our diplomas and reminding her of what she said to us 8 years ago.
In my typically timid, yet excited tone, I suggested she wouldn't remember us. Robert said "Oh, she's going to by the time we finish this chat".
We haven't decided whether we'll actually wear our caps and gowns to her office yet, but we'll definitely be there with our diplomas in hand.