Ceremony Saturday in Longmont will recognize more than 30 graduates of its program

Boulder County, Colo. - Workforce
Boulder County (WfBC) is hosting a ceremony Saturday to recognize more than 30
graduates of its GED program. A wide mix of students, ranging from teenagers to
grandparents, will take this important next step in their education.

• What: Workforce Boulder County GED graduation
  ceremony
• When: 2 p.m., Saturday, August 20
• Where: Longmont Senior Center, 910 Longs Peak
  Ave.

Not everyone makes it through to high
school graduation in the standard four years. To help fill this gap, WfBC’s
Learning Lab provides individual training and instruction to eligible students
to help them pass their GED, or high school equivalency exam.

This year's graduates are proud of their accomplishments
and the examples they are setting. Esther Peter, a recent immigrant and refugee
from South Sudan, says her GED is an important stepping stone in her life. “I
have gone through a lot, but I have never given up on getting my GED,” she notes.
“I was determined and wanted to make my friends, children and family proud. I
wanted to show everyone that being a single mother does not mean you can’t achieve
your goals of continuing with your education. I believe that I will succeed
again in college.”

Adam Green
joined the program after traditional high school proved to be a poor match. “I
never believed that I would be done with high school so quickly! Between
trouble in high school, transferring schools, and being involved in juvie, I
thought I would not graduate in a timely manner,” he says. “That was until I
found the Learning Lab which I qualified for. Not only did I get my degree in three
months, I did it before turning 18, with honors in a couple courses. That saved
me a year of high school!”

WfBC works with both job seekers and
businesses to help meet employment needs around the county. The Learning Lab is
just one way they assist clients to succeed in the job marketplace.