Student Spotlight: Heavenly

My name is Heavenly. I’m almost 23 years old, and I’m a mom to three beautiful little girls. I have a 4-month-old, an almost 3-year-old, and an almost 4-year-old.

I went to Belmont High School but dropped out on the first day of my 11th-grade year because I was being bullied and the administrators didn’t do anything to fix it. Honestly, I started giving up in school back in 9th grade. I was bullied because of my weight, and I didn’t want to go to gym class—which I needed in order to graduate.

One day I decided to start looking into getting my GED. I had been looking on and off for about two years. Then one day I made a post about it on Facebook, and a girl commented and told me to apply at The Literacy Alliance. So I went online, filled out the application, and got an email inviting me to come in. I was really nervous to start, but everyone here is amazing.

My goal is to go to college and study for a career in the medical field. I’d love to become a labor and delivery nurse, but I’m not sure if that’s something I can do with just a GED. If that doesn’t work out, I want to study culinary arts because I really enjoy cooking. I love making new foods for my kids and seeing their reactions. I also enjoy seeing people’s reactions when they try something I’ve cooked. And I really love baking, too.

One thing I hope to re-learn is math. That’s what I struggle with the most. What’s surprised me the most so far is how much math there actually is—I had only remembered the basics like adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing.

I’m very excited to get my GED so I can have better options for my career. I want to be able to get a decent job, buy a nice house and a nice car, and travel.I never got to travel as a kid because my mom had panic attacks and couldn’t leave our hometown. So getting my GED means a lot to me.

I’m looking forward to growing and achieving my goals. I want to give my children the best life I can. I’m going to do everything it takes to earn my GED—and I’m not planning on giving up.