West Piedmont Regional Adult Education Blog

GED Success Story

Determination is Davis Hancock’s middle name. There were considerable obstacles in his path to obtaining a GED credential, but he refused to let those obstacles block him from his goal.

Davis did not possess strong reading skills. So he set about improving them by reading everything he could. This single father even asked his 7 year old daughter, Shanielle, to help him with his reading. Strong family support kept him focused during this time.

When he enrolled in GED classes, Davis walked an hour and from class each day carrying a backpack full of textbooks. For a month, his dedication to learning kept him busy 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. Then Davis took the GED test and successfully completed 4 of the 5 subjects. He refused to be discouraged and applied those newly found study habits to strengthening his math skills. One month later, he passed his math test and received his GED certificate.

Davis says that he had an attitude problem as a teenager. He didn’t feel that an education was necessary nor worth his time and effort.  A poor employment record and lack of education eventually led him to nearly 3 years of unemployment.

“I looked in the mirror one day and realized that I had to do better for my kids. At that moment, I changed my life and stopped doing some things I had been doing. I saw a commercial on TV for the GED test. The next day I went to The Franklin Center and enrolled in class. It was not easy, but I walked by faith every day that I could do this. And I did. ”

After passing the GED test, Davis began working towards an associate’s degree in criminal justice administration at Patrick Henry Community College, Franklin Site. Once he receives that degree, Davis is considering two options:  a military career or pursuing a law degree.

Davis feels that obtaining his GED credential is the biggest accomplishment of his life (other than being a good father to his two children, Shanielle, now 8, and Xzavier, 5). “Now I see pride in my children’s eyes. And when I look at them, failure is not an option.”

Save the Date!

The Race to GED Scholarship Golf Tournament is scheduled for Friday, April 16, 2010, at Forest Park Country Club in Martinsville. Starting time is 1:00 PM. Last year’s event (our first) was terrific. We had great prizes, great food, and lots of fun. Even better, we raised enough money to help pay for nearly 90 GED tests! We hope you will join us for our second annual tournament. If you want to participate, call John Kovack at 1-540-484-1324.

Save the Date!

The Race to GED Scholarship Golf Tournament is scheduled for Friday, April 16, 2010, at Forest Park Country Club in Martinsville. Starting time is 1:00 PM. Last year’s event (our first) was terrific. We had great prizes, great food, and lots of fun. Even better, we raised enough money to help pay for nearly 90 GED tests! We hope you will join us for our second annual tournament. If you want to participate, call John Kovack at 1-540-484-1324.

GED Testing Before Holidays

Looking to go to college or other training in the Spring? Many programs of study require a high school diploma or GED prior to registering for the classes. We still have GED Test dates available before the holidays for adults who wish to enroll in college or other training in January. Check our calendar for test dates in your county. Or call us at 1-888-GED-4-ALL (433-4255) to find out about all upcoming test dates.

Pittsylvania County GED Tests

Science, Social Studies, and Language Arts, Reading tests. Candidate must register in advance to take the tests. To register, call 1-434-432-9416.