DERRY — Graduates of the GED Options Program, a partnership between Pinkerton Academy and the Upper Room, A Family Resource Center, are entering the world like any other young person their age.
Students are graduating with their GED and entering college or the workforce with great success. Last June, 32 graduates completed their GED and moved into the adult world. More than six months after graduating, these students are working or continuing their education.
The Upper Room partners with Pinkerton Academy to offer an alternative educational experience for students ages 16 to 20.
"This program offers many unique supports to the students it serves. Looking at how to assist a student in being academically successful is more than having them address their academics, they need to address their own personal barriers to why they have not been successful in school thus far", said Kimberly Bavaro, executive director of The Upper Room.
The program is a stepping stone for many.
"Our program is small and offers students a comprehensive academic and personal development plan, which assists students through school and propels them in to the next phase of their adult lives," said Brenda Guggisberg, program coordinator.
This year, the GED Program has enrolled 31 students in the program. Students are working hard, completing their education, and are beginning to seek their next challenge through college, work or some combination of the two.
Collaborations with NHHEAF, many local colleges and Employment Security provide a seamless transition for students to enter their next chapter more educated, more prepared and ready to take on the responsibility of their futures.
"I was headed down a dead-end road and without the GED Program at The Upper Room, I am almost certain I would have been a high school dropout, with no chance to explore and pursue my passion of cooking," said Ty Cranston, 2011 GED graduate. "I was not able to adjust to a large high school at that time. The size of the classroom and the great help the teachers gave me at the Upper Room Program allowed me to finish my high school education in short order."
Cranston has since enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts School in Cambridge. He is on track to graduate in June.
All students do not learn the same way. Offering students a place to learn, a place to address their own personal challenges and then to succeed, is something that the Upper Room strives to do well.
For more information on getting a GED, call 437-8477, Ext. 18, or call Bill Foye at Pinkerton Academy, 437-5200, Ext. 1115.
For more on The Upper Room's programs and services, visit URTeachers.org.
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