Years after leaving school without a diploma, Deborah returned to education, earned her GED, and began seeing possibilities for herself that once felt out of reach.
“I wanted to push myself to do something I’ve never done.”
— Deborah
Deborah Holmes had been away from school for years when she decided she was ready to finish what she had started.
Her education had been interrupted when she was young. After her parents divorced, she began missing school and transferring between schools. Life kept moving, and before she knew it, she was 18 without a high school diploma.
She tried returning through an alternative school, but that path didn't work out. Eventually, another referral led her to Project Learn.
Deborah remembers signing up and thinking one thing:
“This has to be it!!”
She wanted her GED. She wanted to be able to help her children with their education. And after years of putting one foot in front of the other through difficult circumstances, she wanted to accomplish something for herself.
“I wanted to satisfy self on seeing what could transpire if I pushed myself to do something I’ve never done,” she said.
Working toward her GED wasn't easy, but Deborah began to see the possibility of finishing something that had remained unfinished for years.
“There was light at the end of the tunnel, and I could in fact reach it, but only if ‘I’ stayed focused and consistent.”
— Deborah
That focus became important to her.
Instead of thinking about everything that had happened before, Deborah concentrated on what she could do next.
“It depended on ME not THEM,” she said.
She kept working.
And she earned her GED.
For Deborah, that accomplishment changed more than her educational status. It changed the possibilities she was willing to consider.
With her GED completed, Deborah decided to face another fear: she applied to The University of Akron.
Then an employment opportunity followed.
With assistance from Paul Crosby at Project Learn, Deborah began working at the university as an assistant building services worker.
She maintains assigned spaces, handles light maintenance, and helps with other responsibilities as needed. She enjoys the independence of her night-shift position and the time it gives her to think, brainstorm, and consider new ideas.
It was a future she hadn't always been able to picture.
“The world had never looked so open and available to me before.”
— Deborah
That sense of possibility has stayed with her.
Since earning her GED, Deborah says one of the things she is proudest of is becoming more willing to try something unfamiliar.
“I was able to get out of my way to let something new in, to embrace the unknown ahead of me.”
— Deborah
She continues to push herself, become more organized, and take chances on opportunities that might move her forward.
And she doesn't pretend that earning a GED suddenly completed her story.
“I haven’t gone far, but from where I come it truly means everything to me,” she said.
Deborah wanted to share her experience because she hopes it reaches someone who is still wondering whether returning to school is possible.
Maybe life interrupted their education. Maybe they have been away from a classroom for years. Maybe they're simply unsure where to begin.
Deborah understands.
Her advice?
“It ain’t never too late.”
— Deborah
“Do not let a stumbling block stop you from doing something to put you ahead,” she said. “Keep going, and stay focused on you. Stay focused on your goal.”
Years after leaving school without a diploma, Deborah earned her GED and began seeing possibilities she hadn't seen before.
Now she wants someone else to see them, too.
“I am your #1 supporter to keep going!!”
— Deborah
