Student Spotlight: Paul

I enrolled in The Literacy Alliance’s Project Graduate program because I had to do something for myself and my future. After I dropped out of high school, I wasn’t getting anything done. I had a job, and that was it. It felt terrible always thinking about how I didn’t finish school when I planned to. I wanted to finish it with my friends and stand on the stage to make my family proud. It felt like I just had a hole inside of me; I felt unaccomplished, I felt useless, and I felt like I wasn’t going to get anywhere.

When I started my first year of high school, it was in a town called Nappanee. I had fun going to the school there; I had friends, I had people to hang out with, and even a girlfriend at the time. Life for me was good, and I felt I could do anything. I thought I would be with those friends when I finished school. Then, I was in my sophomore year, and I had to move far away. A lot of things after that hit me like a freight train. I missed a big portion of school for three months. I did absolutely nothing but play on the computer. Life wasn’t really feeling so lively.

After some time, I moved back to a place I was familiar with: Decatur. I moved into a house I was familiar with, with people who’ve raised me before. They were letting me stay there for as long as I needed to, and they wanted me to get my driver’s license, a job, and finish school. Immediately, life was getting better. I have my license now, I have a job, and now I just need one last thing to complete it. After I get my GED, I plan to use it for better job opportunities. I have a lot more plans, but I shouldn’t be worrying about those things right now when I need to focus on the things that are right in front of my face.

After showing up to class on the first day, I wasn’t nervous or scared. I was confident in my ability to get my GED. The teacher was so nice, there were so many helpful people, and not only that, but I could also do it at my own pace! It’s a school that I’ve always longed for. Getting my GED is a necessity. I am working my hardest and am excited to be ready to take the final test. I will feel better about myself after I graduate. I’ll finally be able to say that I have a certificate of any kind. It’s not a high school one, but it’ll work!

Paul passed his final GED exam and earned his high school equivalency (HSE) diploma in January 2026. We are incredibly proud of him and excited to see what he accomplishes next.