Posted: 6/26/02

Area adults celebrate graduation

Jessica Foster
Staff Writer

Before a crowded house in the Blaine High School auditorium, more than 100 adults from the north metro area celebrated success last week.

That success came in the form of adult diplomas or General Education Development (GED).

Patrice Adams, central cluster coordinator of Metro North ABE, lauded the students for the work and determination they used in pursuing their degrees.

ìThey had to study long and actively in making their goal a priority,î Adams said.

In delivering her speech, Katie LaPenotiere, Forest Lake, was joined on stage by Shannon Sass and Shawna Harer.

As a mother, LaPenotiere made the decision to earn her degree.

ìI did this to benefit myself and my children,î she said.

Harer said it was the birth of her daughter that sparked her desire to earn the G.E.D.

ìI started when she was a baby,î Harer said. ìIt took me three years.î

Sass also credits her child for earning a degree.

She started back in 1998. Starting and stopping a couple of times and making time for school between jobs, kids and other obligations, Sass graduated in four years.

But she isnít done yet, Sass said she plans to go to college.

For her degree and desire to pursue higher education, Sass credits the teaching staff in Forest Lake.

ìThe teachers there were a lot of help, they were so helpful,î Sass said.

For buddies Joe Pederson and Craig Pineault, the journey to a G.E.D. took just six weeks. Six weeks of studying and taking five tests.

To complete a G.E.D., students must take tests in social studies, science, math (two parts), language arts-reading, and language arts-writing (two parts.)

Pineault said he probably would not have gone back to school without the encouragement of his friend.

ìI wouldnít have done it without him,î he said.

But Pederson, 19, said the timing was perfect.

ìI wanted to do it while I was still young,î he said.

T. J. Schiller said he needed to earn his G.E.D. for a job and he wanted the accomplishment under his belt.

Like most of the students who studied at the Forest Lake site, Schiller, credits the staff at the Forest Lake site with providing the necessary encouragement and help.

ìThey helped me out with problems,î he said. ëIf I had a question I could go there and they would help me.î

Dr. Barry Shaffer, the Minnesota state director of adult education, delivered the commencement address.

He said Minnesota has a large investment in adult education.

Schaffer added one out of every six high school degrees awarded in Minnesota are adult diplomas or G.E.D.s.

ëGrandmaí

The most cheered, applauded and perhaps most poignant speech of the night came from Beatrice Michaels.

But sheís better known as grandma.

Married for 45 years, Michaels said she left school to get marriedóand to avoid algebra.

For years, Michaels said she has wanted to go back to school, she was just waiting for the right time.

ìI wanted to fill this incomplete feeling inside of myself,î she said.

When she first went back to schoolólooking to set a good example for her granddaughteróMichaels kept her schooling a secret at first.

She implored the audience to seek out resources to help them along the way.

ìIf you need any help, please ask and make sure you get the help you need,î Michaels said.

Metro North

Students who pursue adult education in the Forest Lake area are part of Metro North Adult Basic Education.

Metro North is a consortium of nine north metro school districts.

In addition to Forest Lake students, those who celebrated graduation Wednesday, June 19, came from Anoka-Hennepin, Elk River, Centennial district, St. Francis, Columbia Heights, Brooklyn Center and Spring Lake Park.

Students who earn adult diplomas do so via the Spring Lake Park district, but can study and work toward their goals at any Metro North site.

Information

For more information on working toward earning a G.E.D. or adult diploma in the Forest Lake area, contact Jean Anderson at 982-8302.

Forest Lake Adult Basic Education is located in the Central Learning Center at 200 S.W. 4th St.

Summer hours are 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday, 1-3 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday and 6-9 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.

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