Chicago Heights, IL-(ENEWSPF)- When she was only 18-years-old, Gina De roiser was raising two children and working to put a roof over their heads and food on the table. She didn’t have a high school diploma and going to school was the last thing on her mind.
That was until she was challenged by a family member to get her GED® and register for preparation classes at Prairie State College (PSC). A GED is a substitute for a high school diploma.
“My partner’s mother told me that even thought I felt I wasn’t school material, she thought I’d be good at it,” said De roiser. “She saw something inside of me that no one else had since I became a teen mom. She encouraged me to set a good example as a mother and show them school was important.”
The next week, De roiser registered for her GED at PSC. After spending weeks studying and attending her preparation classes, she passed the test.
“For the first time in my life, I challenged myself and succeeded,” said De roiser. “The day I received my pass letter, it was a changing point in my life. It started a chain of events that changed everything I knew about myself and what I could accomplish. The GED was my golden ticket to college.”
De roiser went on to attend Prairie State College. Upon earning her associate degree, she enrolled in Governors State University and earned a bachelor’s degree in education. This November, she will graduate from Lewis University with a master’s in education.
Today, De roiser is back where she started—in the GED classroom. However, she is not a student. She is now their teacher.
“If you had told me 14 years ago that I would be an instructor, I wouldn’t have believed you. As a matter of fact, I would’ve probably laughed,” said De roiser, now a mother of five. “I’ve come a long way, and I hope I inspire my students and my children to be successful.”
