Written by: PA CareerLink®’s Lynnette and Annette
Ashley came to our program because as she says, “I wished to join a program to help me with academics, more than regular school.” Prior to joining our GED Program Ashley needed to work to meet her rent and bills and ended up dropping out of high school. Ashley’s guidance counselor referred her to our GED Program. She was connected with Rhonda Leshko, Out of School Youth Specialist, and decided it was a program she would like to attend because of the flexibility and that she could continue to work while she obtained her GED.
Ashley faced several challenges while being in the program. Her personal challenges were that “I struggled with my headaches and my attendance. I needed to work to pay bills and that left me with no time to do school work. My family was also having issues, which set me back.” Ashley also faced an academic challenge in math. She saved math for last because it was her least favorite subject. She actually had to take the GED Ready twice before she qualified to test. She easily passed all four subjects though when it came down to testing day and obtained her GED on September 16, 2022!
A third challenge was transportation for Ashley. Ashley was working at McDonald’s prior to entering our program. She ended up quitting that job and got a job at Amazon for a short period of time. That job did not pan out due to the distance, so she started searching for a new opportunity. She then discussed the Work Experience Program with Annette Ambruch, who is the Work Experience Coordinator. With Annette’s help, she was able to get a job at a daycare, which was close to her home. Ashley loves to be around the children and is enjoying the job very much.
Besides being in the Work Experience Program, Ashley also participated in the YES Workshops, obtained her Green Clean Certification, and completed all her Legacy Tools. Ashley has stated, “I enjoyed the YES Workshop about interviewing. I also learned how to dress and talk in an interview. Another thing I learned was how to make a resume.”
Ashley credits the Equus Staff for being a big help in making her dream come true of obtaining her GED. “Mrs. Ashley was there to guide me through each test and helped me focus on each assignment. Annette was extremely helpful in my search for a job and the entire staff helped me when I had personal problems.”
Now that Ashley has obtained her GED she has big plans for her future. “I plan to go to college for Real Estate. I plan to become a Real Estate Agent and move to Florida.”
Ashley would like to thank, “Rhonda, Mrs. Ashley, and Annette for helping me through the rough and the shine.” Speaking of shine, Ashley’s future is very bright. There’s no stopping what she can do now that she has successfully completed the Equus GED Program.
Are you interested in learning more about our GED Program? Click here for more information.
