Annual GED Awards Luncheon Honors Georgia’s Adult Learners
(Atlanta) – More than 1.1 million Georgians over the age of 25 are without their high school or GED® diploma. Many face considerable odds against achieving personal success, including a greater chance of being incarcerated. Their likelihood of suffering from low self-esteem is higher, and most will earn an average of $9,000 less a year than a high school graduate.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Last year, almost 20,000 Georgians changed their lives for the better and improved their job potential by earning their GED diploma. They discovered that a GED diploma is an important step to achieving the opportunity and success that they deserve.

Some of Georgia’s best and brightest GED recipients, as well as the educators and staff who helped them to achieve their goals, were honored by the Technical College System of Georgia’s Office of Adult Education during the state’s annual GED awards luncheon on October 28, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Atlanta. The gathering celebrated the exceptional achievement of the state’s GED recipients and highlighted the outstanding service provided by the staff members of the statewide GED testing centers.

South Georgia Technical College Adult Education staff who attended the meeting and luncheon included: SGTC Executive Director for Adult Education Jan Hobgood, Lisa Jordan, Lynn Bailey, Joan Granville, Tawnya Hadley, Alice Green, Sally McIntosh, Sherry Royle, Erin Wright, Karen Coogle, Mary King, Garry Newton, Dot Schofield, Carlene Beckwith, Kenia Wills, Tonya Visage, Joseph Lee, Gladys Monts, and Ernest Jolly. Georgia Boyd of the Macon Co CLCP & Faith Collins of LearNetwork also attended with South Georgia Technical College employees.

The award categories included the GED Student of the Year for Youth Challenge, Exceptional Adult Georgian in Literacy Education (EAGLE) and the senior citizen Golden EAGLE programs, as well as the GED Award of Exemplary Performance.

“The amount of hard work and perseverance put forth by Georgia’s adult learners to overcome life’s obstacles and obtain their GED is inspiring to us all,” said TCSG Commissioner Ron Jackson. “I congratulate our student winners for their outstanding achievements, and I thank the state’s GED testing center staffs and adult education instructors for their commitment to lifelong learning. As our students will tell you, success can come at any time and any age, and it’s never too late to get your education.”

Last year, the Technical College System of Georgia’s Office of Adult Education enrolled more than 95,000 students in adult education programs. The 19,696 adult education students who earned their GED diploma last year increased their combined earning potential by almost $144 million dollars.