Shaneque needed extra support to graduate from high school. Unfortunately, she did not receive the level of support she needed when she was a teenager, which led her to withdraw from high school.
As an adult, she tried a GED program and a paid online program, but nothing worked quite right for her. She didn’t like the strict routine of the in-person GED program, and the payments for the online program were just too expensive. So she started looking for another option and found the South Carolina Workforce Diploma Program.
“You get an actual, real diploma instead of a GED,” Shaneque said. “So you get a real diploma with your name on it, like you actually just graduated from high school instead of just getting a piece of paper with G-E-D written on it!”
Shaneque said she was excited about getting an accredited diploma instead of a GED and that she was excited to be able to do her classwork on her own time, rather than having to go into a classroom and adhere to a schedule. Though the workforce diploma program has deadlines, Shaneque could work on her classwork at any time and from anywhere.
“My favorite part was when I graduated,” Shaneque said with a laugh.
Less than six months after graduation, Shaneque was enrolled in an associate degree program through Ultimate Medical Academy.
“I’m in school until next year,” Shaneque said. “I’m getting my associate degree in health information management. … I want to be an IT tech, so I’m trying to get my associate degree first and then go into the IT field.”
Shaneque said that in addition to providing her with more opportunities, earning her high school diploma has also boosted her confidence and given her more job opportunities.
“It felt good to finish something I put my mind to,” she said.
She also offered some advice for prospective students.
“If you put your mind to it, you can always do it,” Shaneque said. “Don’t ever give up on your dreams because you can do it if you just work extra hard and think about everything you want to accomplish for you and your family!”