More than a decade after earning his GED through Project Learn, Doug returned to encourage a new generation of graduates while continuing a journey that has taken him from college to doctoral studies and a career serving others.
“Your past does not define you.”
— Doug
More than a decade after Doug Kirchner came to Project Learn as a student, he found himself back in front of a new group of graduates.
This time, he wasn't there to earn a credential.
He was there to speak.
Doug returned for Project Learn’s 2026 Recognition & Graduation Ceremony after a journey that had taken him from earning his GED to college, graduate school, doctoral studies, and a career serving young people and families through the juvenile justice system.
But coming back wasn't only about how far his own journey had taken him.
It was also about what he could offer the people just beginning theirs.
A Promise That Started the Journey
Doug’s path to Project Learn began during one of the most difficult periods of his life.
His daughter, Skyler, had spent six years fighting brain cancer. A few weeks before she died at age 12, father and daughter talked about something Doug had never finished: high school.
Doug had dropped out in ninth grade.
Skyler asked him to make her a promise. After she was gone, he would earn his GED.
At the time, Doug had also lost his business and home after taking time away from work to care for his daughter. He was unemployed and trying to figure out what came next when he was directed to the OhioMeansJobs Center and connected with Project Learn.
Skyler died on November 2, 2011.
The following year, Doug kept his promise.
He earned his GED.
“When I obtained my GED, it was a major lift off my shoulders,” Doug said. “I was also able to fulfill the promise I made to my daughter.”
Doug’s promise to Skyler and his return to education have been shared before through news and university features.
But earning his GED turned out to be only the beginning.
Through Project Learn, Doug connected with Kent State University’s GED Scholars Initiative.
College wasn't something he had imagined for himself.
He attended a weeklong program about going to college and, almost unexpectedly, found himself taking the next step.
“I never thought [college] was in my worldview ever,” Doug said.
At Kent State, Doug studied Applied Conflict Management with a minor in Criminal Justice. He was also working full time as a lead investigator, sometimes working around 70 hours a week while carrying a full course load.
He earned his bachelor’s degree.
Then he kept going.
In 2019, Doug earned a master’s degree in criminal justice.
Today, he is pursuing a Ph.D.
Doug doesn't describe the Ph.D. as something he needs for his current job.
This one is personal.
“I just want to prove to myself that I can do it.”
For Doug, that means proving something about the student he once was, too.
“I just want to prove that the kid who dropped out of school in the 9th grade, who failed several grades, and had dyslexia could make it.”
At 35, earning a GED had once seemed almost impossible to him.
Now, the same person is working toward a doctorate.
But education didn't only change what Doug believed he could accomplish academically. It also helped shape where he wanted to put his experiences to work.
Changing Things From Within
Doug’s career eventually led him into juvenile justice.
After working with the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office, he joined the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court. He began as a probation officer and later moved into his current role as Specialized Dockets Coordinator.
For Doug, the work is deeply personal.
He describes himself as someone who has always wanted to protect people and help those in need. Experiences from his own life also shaped his desire to work with young people and families.
As a probation officer, Doug worked directly with youth. Some have stayed in contact with him years later.
When people suggested he return to probation because of that direct connection, Doug saw another way to make a difference.
“In the role I am in, Specialized Docket Coordinator, I can help make a change from within the system,” he said.
Working alongside his team, Doug wants young people and their families to understand that a difficult moment does not have to determine the rest of their lives.
It is a message shaped by his own experience.
In July 2026, Doug’s journey brought him back to Project Learn.
He joined students, families, staff, and community members at Project Learn’s Recognition & Graduation Ceremony, this time as one of the speakers.
Years earlier, Doug had been the adult learner wondering what could come next.
Now he was standing in front of adults beginning their own next chapters.
The experience stayed with him.
After the ceremony, Doug shared how much it meant to be part of the GED process. He also began thinking about ways to be more proactive in connecting people who want a GED with opportunities to earn one.
His connection with Project Learn had come full circle.
He returned not simply as a former student, but as someone thinking about how he could help open doors for others.
The Rest of the Story Isn't Written
There is something Doug often tells young people through his work at the court.
It comes from a life that has given him plenty of reasons to believe it.
“Your past does not define you.”
But Doug doesn't stop there.
“After you know what needs to be done and are given the tools to succeed, that is where the defining happens. You will be defined by what you do in the future.”
And then comes the part that may say the most about Doug’s own journey:
“Your past is but a chapter in your life, and the rest of the story is not written, so make it a good ending.”
Doug’s story isn't finished either.
More than a decade after earning his GED, he is still learning, still serving, and still looking for ways to help someone else see what might come next.
After returning to education years later, Christy earned her GED, built confidence in math and technology, and found herself using those same skills in a new career.
“Project Learn taught me that I was capable of achieving more.”
— Christy
Numbers and spreadsheets are part of Christy Henderson’s workday now.
Not long ago, she says basic math and computer skills were things she struggled with. Today, as a Distributions Specialist for a pension consulting company, she works with numbers, spreadsheets, and documents every day.
It’s a job Christy says she once wouldn’t have had the courage to apply for.
“The same girl that couldn’t do basic math and didn’t have the simplest computer skills a short time ago, now works with numbers, spreadsheets, and documents every day!”
— Christy
Getting there meant returning to something that had been left unfinished years earlier: her education.
Christy grew up homeschooled in a family that placed a high value on education. She was an avid reader and remembers doing well academically.
But before she had the chance to finish high school and attend college, her life took a different direction. She left home and eventually began working for Starbucks, where she would spend the next 23 years.
During those years, Christy also struggled with alcohol. March 2021 was the last time she drank, and she has now been sober for more than five years.
Sobriety changed what she wanted for her life.
“Becoming sober made me want more for my life.”
— Christy
Two years ago, Christy made another major change, moving from Oregon to Ohio. She knew she wanted to pursue a career beyond Starbucks.
The first step was earning her GED.
After taking a practice math test, Christy knew she would need some help preparing. She had heard the library was a good place to start, and that search led her to Project Learn.
What stands out most in her memory are the people she met there.
Christy called Jackie “my own personal cheerleader.” Jackie was the person she texted after every test, and Christy says she still tears up when she talks about how much that encouragement meant to her.
She remembers Ethan, her instructor, as humorous and patient. She remembers the classroom tutors who helped her, along with Marquita, Paul, Melinda, and others who supported her during and after the program.
For Christy, those relationships became part of an experience she hadn’t expected to affect her as deeply as it did.
Earning her GED was a personal accomplishment, but Christy’s memories of graduation aren’t hers alone.
She remembers the classmates who had been working toward the same goal.
“I was so proud to graduate with my classmates that struggled along with me and fought to achieve this.”
— Christy
By then, Christy had proven something to herself, too.
“At any age you can do hard things and change your life.”
— Christy
After graduation, she tried a couple of different jobs before finding the position she has today.
And the work brought her back to some of the very skills she once doubted.
As a Distributions Specialist for a pension consulting company, Christy now regularly works with numbers, spreadsheets, and documents.
The contrast isn’t lost on her.
Math was the subject that first made her realize she needed help preparing for the GED. Computer skills were another area where she once lacked confidence.
Now both are part of her workday.
“My current position is one I never would have had the courage to apply for if not for Project Learn.”
— Christy
For Christy, earning the GED mattered. But looking back, she says the experience gave her something that went beyond the credential itself.
“It’s not just about the GED, it’s about the confidence instilled by every person that works with Project Learn.”
— Christy
Staying Connected
Christy’s connection to Project Learn didn’t end at graduation.
In 2026, she returned for Books & Brushes, joining the fundraiser as a former student and supporter. Her participation also included a charitable contribution to Project Learn.
This time, she was coming back as a graduate helping support the organization and the learners coming after her.
Today, Christy describes herself the same way she began telling her story:
“I am a proud graduate of Project Learn!”
— Christy
Her path to graduation looked different from the one she might have imagined when she was younger. She returned to education years later, after a 23-year career, sobriety, and a move across the country.
Now, some of the skills she once struggled with are skills she uses every day.
And along the way, Christy discovered she was capable of more.
