EMCC Students Prove It’s Never Too Late

REED

MAYHEW — Columbus resident Jimmie Reed, 43, was 17 years old when his first of three daughters was born. A half-credit away from graduating from Noxubee County High School, Reed dropped out before earning his diploma, a decision he has regretted for 26 years.

Thursday night, Reed was among 32 East Mississippi Community College adult basic education students in the Launch Pad program who received their GED diplomas. And he was one of several graduates who spoke to the large crowd gathered in the Lyceum auditorium at the Golden Triangle campus for the graduation ceremony.

Reed spoke about life’s ups and downs and jobs that came and went. He spoke about his desire to motivate his daughters to pursue a higher education. One daughter is attending EMCC now, another is enrolled at Itawamba Community College and the oldest earned a bachelor’s degree from Mississippi State University and is returning there to work toward a master’s degree.

He talked about being disappointed in himself for not earning his GED earlier in life and the difficulty he had when he finally returned to school.

“Every day I felt like I wanted to give up,” Reed said. “I was working long hours on the job, trying to be a father to my children and a husband to my wife.”

But he didn’t give up.

“I am standing before you today to let you know, no matter how old you are or how young, no matter the circumstances life brings to you, that you are able to achieve what you want,” Reed said. “It will push you even more to accomplish something in life and to be what you want to be. Don’t get discouraged. It’s hard but you can make it. I thank the other graduates tonight. It was a long road but look at us now. We are here.”

When Reed finished speaking, those in attendance rewarded him with a standing ovation.

West Point resident Dacia Pulliam, 18, talked about how she had lost hope.

“I had given up and I really didn’t want to have anything to do with school anymore,” Pulliam said.

Convinced to earn her GED, Pulliam enjoyed the experience and now plans to attend college.

“I want to thank everyone at EMCC for helping me to believe in myself again,” Pulliam said.

EMCC President Dr. Thomas Huebner spoke to the graduates about the courage it took for them to return to school. He encouraged them to build on that success.

“Decide where you want to go and how you want to get there and you will get there, I promise,” Huebner said.

He encouraged them to view past struggles as building blocks for a better future.

“All those things helped shape you,” Huebner said. “They helped build your character and they helped form you and helped build the dreams you can now move toward.”

Lastly, Huebner told the graduates they were created for a purpose and that their decision to earn a GED will impact their lives in ways as yet unknown. He recounted the story of a woman who dropped out of high school, got married and had four children before deciding to earn her high school diploma at the age of 32.

“She worked like a dog to get that high school diploma,” Huebner said. “She decided she wanted more.”

The woman, whose lifelong dream was to become a nurse, entered a community college to pursue that goal.

“School work wasn’t easy for her,” Huebner said. “But she was committed to that dream and she wasn’t going to let it bypass her. So she kept going to school and at the age of 45 she graduated from community college with a degree in nursing. She still is a nurse.”

The woman’s youngest child, a daughter, followed in her mother’s footsteps and became a nurse. The second youngest child is an officer in the U.S. Navy and the second oldest is a minister.

“The oldest one is the president of East Mississippi Community College,” Huebner said. “You have no idea right now the impact this decision will make on the trajectory of your family. But one day somebody will look back and will tell the story about you, about the courage you had and the decision you made and how it made all the difference.”

For more information about Launch Pad adult basic education courses, call (662) 243-1985.

The 32 graduates who participated in the ceremony at the Golden Triangle campus are: Brejenn Allen (Porterville); Gregory Craven (Steens); Gregory Doss Jr. (West Point); Deondre T. Fields (Aberdeen); Caitlin Garrison                (West Point); Daniel Gordy (Columbus); Kara Holt; Winter Skye Hurst (Maben); Precious Ivy (Meridian); Kayle Johnson (Mantee); Jeremy Lee (West Point); Lee Lewis (Columbus); Darnell Lockett (Macon); Bryant Spencer Mixon (Columbus); Serena L. Nelson (West Point); Olden Newman         (Caledonia); Dekota Niswonger (Caledonia); Khalidah Parker; Alexis Perrigan (Caledonia); Amy Lynn Potts (Eupora); Dacia Pulliam (West Point); Jimmie Reed (Columbus); Robert Shima (West Point); Amber Shey Smith (Mooreville); Bailey Michelle Stacy (Maben); Fredrick Tate (West Point); Cody Terry (Cedar Bluff); Heaven Leigh Threet (Sturgis); Lachelle Walker (West Point); Keivin Ware (Starkville); Lavoris S. Williams and Veronica Winston.