Student Spotlight: Brad

My name is Brad. I’m 40 years old, and for most of my life I was embarrassed to say, “I don’t have a diploma.” What’s strange is that I’ve lived a pretty exciting life. I was told, “If you’re gonna do it, do it in your 20s,” and that’s exactly what I did. I spent 3.5 years in San Diego and 6.5 years in Chicago before moving back to Fort Wayne. In that time, I chased adventure and found it.

At one point, I was managing a high-volume print shop with exclusive clients like Northwestern University, Loyola, and several big names in the Chicagoland area. Believe it or not, I even printed the proofs for the designer who created the Tincaps logos and marketing materials. Later, I became Michelin-Star trained and worked in both Chicago restaurants owned by celebrity chef Graham Elliot. Those are just two of the incredible opportunities I had… but there were also many opportunities I lost, all because I didn’t have credentials.

In 2003, during my senior year of high school, I left home because of a parent’s substance abuse. I tried to finish school but eventually had to quit and work instead. I figured I would get my GED, but the one option I knew of didn’t feel welcoming to a teenager trying to do it alone. After a few failed attempts, I did what many unsupervised 17-year-olds would do, I blew it off. I told myself, “I tested above 12th grade level when I was in 2nd grade. I got this!” And for a while, I did.

But fast-forward 20 years and a diagnosis of a fatal genetic heart condition, and everything changed. I needed work that fits my new reality. I can’t get a DOT license. No maintenance jobs involving electricity. Even finding insurance that would accept my pre-existing condition was tough, again, without that high school diploma. It was finally time to push a ball I hadn’t pushed in two decades.

That’s when The Literacy Alliance entered, stage left.

The anxiety I’d been carrying for years felt like slag collected in a crucible, impurities built up over time and weighing down the refined, molten metal that was supposed to shape my future. The Literacy Alliance gave me the tools to chip that away. From the very first phone call to orientation and every step of the learning process, I felt that weight start to lift. TLA disintegrated my anxiety, helped me find my groove, and gave me a clear path forward.

Because of that, I was able to test with confidence and score high enough to move straight into practice tests, and then right into GED testing. I wasn’t forced to sit through material I already knew. Instead, I was lifted to the platform I needed to take my next steps.

For the first time in a long time, I feel ready for what’s ahead.

Earning his high school equivalency diploma in November 2025 was just the start for Brad. We’re eager to watch his next chapter unfold.