Coahoma Community College News September 13, 2017 Three earn GED at CCC While their circumstances were different, Jamerial Allen, Nyiah Menkara and JaNessah Strong all found themselves at CCC's Workforce Development Center this summer with the same goal-to earn a GED. "Once I was expelled from school, I saw Coahoma as a good opportunity to continue my education because I have a child to support," said Allen, a native of Clarksdale. "It was actually my aunt's idea," said Menkara of Marks, MS. "I wasn't really doing anything day-to-day, so she recommended that I enroll in the program since I hadn't graduated high school." Preoccupied with working low-wage jobs to support her daughter, Strong said she'd put earning a high school diploma on the back burner. "To be honest, I really had given up on school when I came to CCC," she said. "But the entire process turned out to be much easier than I expected. ...I thought it was going to be like going back to high school, but it felt more like being home-schooled because you can do everything at your own pace." The trio all topped out on their TABE (The Adult Basic Education) diagnostic exams and earned impressive scores on their Career Readiness Certificate (CRC). After a brief stint in CCC's free classes, they also aced their GED test on the first attempt. "I was so happy because, honestly, I was expecting to have to take the GED test at least three times," said Strong, who plans to enroll in CCC's 10-week Nursing Assistant program next month and become a full-time student in January. "It was a really good experience," said Menkara, who will also enroll in CCC's short-term Nursing Assistant program and start school full-time in January. "Everyone at CCC was really nice and proactive in trying to help me move forward. It feels really good because I didn't think I was going to be able to do it." After earning a 20 on her ACT, Allen is now enrolled at CCC as a pre-nursing major. "I knew I was intelligent, but I didn't know I would meet the requirements to get in school so quickly," she said. Allen plans to earn an associate's degree in Nursing and to continue to work her way up to a doctorate degree. "I'm really excited, and motivated. ...I hope that people see that if I can do it, they can do it too," she said. Strong said she's grateful for the opportunity to make a better life for herself. "I'm proud of myself because I have a daughter and I didn't want to be sitting around not doing anything and setting a bad example for her," she said. "I'm happy, maybe too happy, because I just didn't expect this to happen." CCC's ABE/GED Director Tamara Washington-Travis said she is proud of the young ladies' success. "It feels great-this is what we are here for," Travis said. "To have students who are motivated and who really want to succeed inspires us to do all we can to help them." CCC currently offers free Adult Basic Education (ABE/GED) classes in Clarksdale, Tunica, Cleveland, Rosedale and Marks, MS. For more information or to sign-up, call (662) 621-4314 or stop by CCC's Workforce Development Center at 510 Sunbelt Drive in Clarksdale. SANDRA M. PHOENIX HBCU Library Alliance Executive Director Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library 111 James P. Brawley Drive SW Atlanta, GA 30314 404-978-2118 (office) 404-702-5854 (cell) http://www.hbculibraries.org/ sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org%3cmailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org>> Honor the ancestors, honor the children. Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hbculibraryalliance1/ and Twitter https://twitter.com/HBCULibAlliance Check out "PULSE!" The HBCU Library Alliance's News Source! - https://hbculibraryalliance.wordpress.com/