At the young age of 16, Sandra Roberts made the decision to leave school, get married and start a family. After 32 years of marriage, Sandra is now the mother of two adult sons and has five grandchildren. At the end of 2016, Sandra made another big decision. She decided that she wanted to start doing something for herself. She gained a new sense of empowerment when she obtained her driver’s license in October. Sandra’s daughter-in-law told her about the CCWVa Adult Education Program and Sandra made the decision to enroll and begin working toward receiving her High School Equivalency (HSE) Diploma. She invited her niece, Aleisha Church, to join her.
Aleisha had also left high school before receiving her diploma. Initially she felt she made the right decision, but as time passed she began to have regrets. Upon Sandra and Aleisha’s first visit to the classroom, they were warmly welcomed by Adult Education Instructors, Gwenn Mayhew and Jarred Cantrell, who helped them enroll in the program and set their learning plans. Little did Gwenn and Jarred know, their class was about to become a family affair.
Later that day, Sandra informed her sister-in-law, Angela Roberts, about the new adventure they were embarking on. Angela herself had worked toward receiving her HSE Diploma eight years prior, but was unsuccessful. When they invited her to join them in the CCWVa Adult Education Program, she decided to finish what she started and to achieve her goal. The three began attending class regularly on Thursdays.
After seeing the difference it was making in their lives and how much they enjoyed learning, the group convinced Aleisha’s mother, Ida Roberts, to enroll in the program. When she first began attending class, Ida feared that she would not be able to succeed. Now she says, thanks to the instructor, she looks forward to attending class. Aleisha’s sister, Karen Atwell, joined the group with hopes of bettering herself and finding gainful employment.
Sandra’s friend, Patricia Kennedy, has also enrolled and attends on Thursdays. She says the program has not only helped her improve her knowledge in multiple subjects, but it has also helped her believe that she can accomplish what she sets her mind to do. All six ladies are looking forward to receiving their HSE Diplomas together as a family.
“This is a great program and we hope and pray it keeps going”, Sandra remarked, “It has been a great help to us all.”