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Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2008

Hard work, perseverance land young WR woman top state adult education honors

The last two years have been a life-changing experience for Artesia Brown of Warner Robins.

Nineteen years old at the time, the Dallas, Texas, native dropped out of high school during the second semester of her senior year, just months away from graduation. Her grades had slipped, she admits. She would give birth to a daughter, Te'Asia Woods, that spring.

Brown came to Middle Georgia in 2006 to visit family members in Sandersville. In order to support her daughter, she applied for welfare benefits and become part of the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program, which requires young mothers like Brown to return to school and obtain their high school diplomas.

She enrolled in January 2007 in the adult education program at Middle Georgia Technical College in Warner Robins. The classes she found to be more hands-on and easier to understand, due in part to several instructors who worked with her closely, she said. Without a GED, she figured she wouldn't be able to get a good job.

After completing the required classes in March of 2007, she completed all parts of the GED test. But she was still nervous she wouldn't be able to walk across the stage at graduation. She hadn't completed the essay portion of the language arts section of the exam.

But eventually she received the news she'd waited so long to hear. She had passed.

"I was excited. I was happy. I couldn't believe it," she said. "I cried and I called my mom."

A huge pressure had been lifted from her and that she could finally move on for her daughter's sake, she said.

After finishing school, as part of TANF program requirements, Brown would need to find employment. For three months she worked at Foster and Associates in Warner Robins, helping other young women in similar situations get an education and enter the workforce. Impressing her employer with her work ethic, she was hired full-time as a job developer and instructor.

"I felt at ease," she said upon being hired full-time. "I felt I'm becoming a woman and this was my first time out on my own."

She was 20 years old at the time, with a job and an apartment.

While Brown is no longer working with the company, she continues to stay involved by helping other women in the community get off welfare, get an education and realize their dreams - as she has.

Due to her dedication, determination and perseverance, Brown was recognized this month as the TANF Student of the Year by the Technical College System of Georgia.

She was nominated by MGTC adult education veteran Cynthia Criss. "I was very excited for her because she deserved it," she said.

When Brown began classes at MGTC's adult education center, Criss said, she began working with her and preparing for GED testing, which included assessments in reading, math and language.

"She was a hard worker. She came every day," Criss remembered. "She was determined and was already there as far as GED readiness. She just needed to review her language. I knew that she was grateful to be in the TANF program and she was taking advantage of every benefit they gave her."

No matter what situation someone may find themselves in, Brown says, if you want an education, there are resources available to help.

But getting a GED was just the first step for Brown. The aspiring entrepreneur is currently working on a bachelor's degree in social work through online classes at Grand Canyon University. Her goal is to start her own company and help women just as she was helped in her first job.

"I've been in their shoes and I understand where they're coming from," she said. "I want people to know that even though you're going through a rough time, it's always going to be a brighter day. You need your education to get where you want to be in life.

"Nobody has an excuse for not getting an education," she stressed.

According to the Department of Technical and Adult Education, since TANF began assisting students without a high school diploma in 1999, more than 22,000 people have benefitted from basic adult education services.

If you would like information on the adult education programs at Middle Georgia Technical College, call 988-6800, ext. 2006, or visit www.middlegatech.edu.

To contact writer Jenny Gordon, call 923-3109, extension 240.