GED Success Story: Lacken Proffitt
Obtaining a GED® can be a challenging task for many people, and some individuals want to give up when the going gets tough. However, this was not the case for recent GED® graduate Lacken Proffitt. In her words, “You can do anything you want as long as you push through it. The sky is the limit, always believe in yourself.” This positive outlook carried Lacken throughout her adult educational journey to obtain her high school credential with the help of Instructor Ami Warner of the Richlands Career Works Center.
Years after dropping out of high school at the age of fifteen, Lacken came to realize that she has a certain goal she would like to accomplish and to do so, she needed to obtain a high school diploma. The goal she has in mind is going to college and taking nursing classes. With the support and encouragement of her children, her fiancé, and best friend, Lacken signed up for the GED® program in Richlands.
The process of going back to school was not without difficulties. Lacken stated that, “I struggled with putting years of learning into a few weeks or months.” Despite her struggles in class, she was able to be successful with the aid of her instructor. Lacken commented that Ami encouraged her to work at her own pace, that she sat down with her and gave her one on one instruction, and was always patient with her as well as the rest of her students.
Another major goal that Lacken accomplished is making sure she is a good role model for her children. She said that “I wanted to show my children that you can do anything you want as long as you put in the work.” Now that she has done the work and secured her GED®, Lacken is on to her next objective, which is becoming a nurse. She has been accepted by the American National University where she can begin a nursing program and obtain a Bachelor of Science degree. Her future is bright, and she is now a few steps closer to the career she has set her sights toward.
If you are inspired by Lacken’s story and would like to have help getting your GED®, you can call Southwest Regional Adult Education at 276-889-5424. There are several locations across the region with supportive instructors to be of assistance every step of the way from teaching concepts to helping adults gain confidence in themselves. Truly, the sky is the limit if you believe in yourself and put forth the effort!
Obtaining a GED® can be a challenging task for many people, and some individuals want to give up when the going gets tough. However, this was not the case for recent GED® graduate Lacken Proffitt. In her words, “You can do anything you want as long as you push through it. The sky is the limit, always believe in yourself.” This positive outlook carried Lacken throughout her adult educational journey to obtain her high school credential with the help of Instructor Ami Warner of the Richlands Career Works Center.
Years after dropping out of high school at the age of fifteen, Lacken came to realize that she has a certain goal she would like to accomplish and to do so, she needed to obtain a high school diploma. The goal she has in mind is going to college and taking nursing classes. With the support and encouragement of her children, her fiancé, and best friend, Lacken signed up for the GED® program in Richlands.
The process of going back to school was not without difficulties. Lacken stated that, “I struggled with putting years of learning into a few weeks or months.” Despite her struggles in class, she was able to be successful with the aid of her instructor. Lacken commented that Ami encouraged her to work at her own pace, that she sat down with her and gave her one on one instruction, and was always patient with her as well as the rest of her students.
Another major goal that Lacken accomplished is making sure she is a good role model for her children. She said that “I wanted to show my children that you can do anything you want as long as you put in the work.” Now that she has done the work and secured her GED®, Lacken is on to her next objective, which is becoming a nurse. She has been accepted by the American National University where she can begin a nursing program and obtain a Bachelor of Science degree. Her future is bright, and she is now a few steps closer to the career she has set her sights toward.
If you are inspired by Lacken’s story and would like to have help getting your GED®, you can call Southwest Regional Adult Education at 276-889-5424. There are several locations across the region with supportive instructors to be of assistance every step of the way from teaching concepts to helping adults gain confidence in themselves. Truly, the sky is the limit if you believe in yourself and put forth the effort!
GED Success Story: Claudia Lyons-Harrison
Thomas Edison once said, "Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." This sentiment most certainly rings true in the success of Claudia Lyons-Harrison, a recent GED® graduate. In June, she was able to obtain her high school equivalency diploma with the help of her teacher, Ami Warner, at the Richlands Career Works Center in Southwest Virginia.
Claudia began her GED® credential journey in May of 2023. She made great strides towards this by passing three out of the four GED® tests in just a few weeks’ time. She passed the Reasoning in Language Arts test, the Social Studies test, and the Science test quite easily. However, when it came time to take the Math GED® test for the first time, things did not go exactly as planned, and Claudia did not pass. This failed attempt took a toll on her self-confidence causing her to give up on her objective for a time, but things would eventually turn around.
In January of 2025, Claudia realized that she had certain educational goals that she wanted to achieve and in order to do so, she needed to try again to obtain her diploma. She decided that giving up was not an option anymore, so she returned to an adult education class taught by Ami Warner. Claudia stated that Ami worked with her to gain the math skills she needed to successfully pass her final GED® test and gave individual instruction to help her overcome the struggles that sometimes come with having ADHD and autism.
By coming to class three days a week, Claudia was able to establish a routine and gain the structure she needed to thrive. She developed friendships with her classmates and leaned on them for support. When asked what valuable lesson she learned from her GED® experience, Claudia replied that, “The best lesson was to just keep going, persevere, and believe in yourself.” With her newfound confidence, Claudia has made the decision to chase her dream of becoming a criminal psychiatrist. She has signed up for classes at Southwest Virginia Community College and is on her way to ultimately obtaining her first college degree.
Thomas Edison once said, "Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." This sentiment most certainly rings true in the success of Claudia Lyons-Harrison, a recent GED® graduate. In June, she was able to obtain her high school equivalency diploma with the help of her teacher, Ami Warner, at the Richlands Career Works Center in Southwest Virginia.
Claudia began her GED® credential journey in May of 2023. She made great strides towards this by passing three out of the four GED® tests in just a few weeks’ time. She passed the Reasoning in Language Arts test, the Social Studies test, and the Science test quite easily. However, when it came time to take the Math GED® test for the first time, things did not go exactly as planned, and Claudia did not pass. This failed attempt took a toll on her self-confidence causing her to give up on her objective for a time, but things would eventually turn around.
In January of 2025, Claudia realized that she had certain educational goals that she wanted to achieve and in order to do so, she needed to try again to obtain her diploma. She decided that giving up was not an option anymore, so she returned to an adult education class taught by Ami Warner. Claudia stated that Ami worked with her to gain the math skills she needed to successfully pass her final GED® test and gave individual instruction to help her overcome the struggles that sometimes come with having ADHD and autism.
By coming to class three days a week, Claudia was able to establish a routine and gain the structure she needed to thrive. She developed friendships with her classmates and leaned on them for support. When asked what valuable lesson she learned from her GED® experience, Claudia replied that, “The best lesson was to just keep going, persevere, and believe in yourself.” With her newfound confidence, Claudia has made the decision to chase her dream of becoming a criminal psychiatrist. She has signed up for classes at Southwest Virginia Community College and is on her way to ultimately obtaining her first college degree.
As Adult Education and Family Literacy Week continues, we want to reach out to those who have started the process and not completed their GED. Let us help you finish! Call today (276) 889-5424 for our new class schedule.
Celebrate adult learning this week with us!
All year long, learners, educators, and communities around the world work hard to achieve their educational dreams. Do you know a GED grad, student, or educator? Give them a shout-out!
Happy Adult Education and Family Literacy Week 2024!!!
Today is the first official National GED Day, Monday, September 16, 2024! We want to honor our GED Graduates, appreciate our adult educators, and kick off Adult Education and Family Literacy Week!
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Free Certified Nurse Aide Classes are being offered in three locations: Buchanan, Russell, and Tazewell Counties. See the flyer for more information.
