Voices of the Class of 2026
My Journey to Becoming a High School Graduate
By Lewis Lee McBride Sr.
When I was a child, school was very challenging for me. I am the 7th of 10 siblings. My dad died before I was born. Therefore, I have seen pictures and heard stories about him, but I have never seen him. Family members say that I look like him and have his work ethic. My mom worked outside of the household. I did not have the type of family that sat around the table and studied together or even talked about school. To sum it all up, I struggled in school because I did not have any study habits, and the importance of education was not discussed too often.
As a child, I just wanted a job that would provide me with a house and a car. I met my wife at the age of 19. She asked me what I wanted to do in life. I told her that I wanted to be a truck driver. At that time, I was just working different factory jobs because I had a child from a previous relationship to support. This is when I started to think about working toward my dream of becoming a truck driver.
I think I stopped attending high school when I was in the 10th grade. I was hanging out with kids who did not go to school, and I stopped attending as well. My mind was on working and trying to make a living for myself and my son. I also started partying and hanging out. I viewed school as not being a place for me.
My career dream did not change. I still had the desire to become a truck driver. I just didn’t have the willpower and motivation at that age. However, I met my wife at the age of 19, and she encouraged me to go to school and get my CDL. I was nervous because I didn’t think that school was for me. She helped me study and made up practice tests for me to take at home. I am glad that I listened to her. I have been a truck driver for over 25 years and have been able to provide for my wife and our three kids.
My fear of failing did not allow me to attempt the GED. I looked into taking it, but I was not confident enough to take the tests. My high school memories started to come back to me. I just felt as if it would be a waste of time. I guess my fear got the best of me.
I looked at some GED study guides, and I felt as if I did not have enough high school classes to be successful. The study guides asked questions that I knew I could not answer. A friend told me that he had attempted the GED test three times and failed. I guess I let fear take control of me once again. The longer I was out of school, the less I thought I knew.
I am very anxious about tests and exams. I have a daughter who also gets anxiety when it comes to tests and exams. She is not like me. Her mom pushed and encouraged her to go to school, and she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree. This is the same woman who pushed me to complete this program and not give up. I am so proud to call her my wife.
My greatest fear about returning to get my high school diploma was that I was not going to be able to do the assignments. I kept telling myself that the work was going to be too hard. I would not have a teacher to ask for help or guidance. I felt as if I had waited too long to be considering graduating from high school. However, my wife explained to me that it is never too late to go to school. School does not have an age limit.
My biggest supporter for enrolling in this program was my wife. She heard about the program from a former graduate. She wrote down the information and came home and presented it to me. At first, I told her that I would think about it. She kept talking about it day after day and night after night. Then my kids started telling me that I should try it. All of them promised to support me and guide me all the way through the program. With all that love and support, I could not resist it any longer. I made the choice to enroll in the program and do my best to complete it.
I can truly say that my instructor was very helpful and answered the text messages that I sent her. The work started out being very easy. I was completing more than one lesson per day. My good thing came to an end soon. The work became more challenging, and I started feeling overwhelmed. I thought about giving up, but my support system kept me encouraged and helped me get through challenging questions.
I felt as if my kitchen table had turned into a classroom. This is where most of my work was completed. My wife put me on a schedule so that I could complete the program in a timely manner. I really felt like I was back in a real school building.
I am not an inside person. I love working outside in the yard. When I stayed in the yard too long, my wife or daughter would come to the door and say, “It’s time to start on your schoolwork.” I would secretly smile. It made me feel good to know that they were really invested in me getting my high school diploma.
I have always regretted the fact that I dropped out of high school when I was young. I just didn’t value education until I married someone who truly values it and ensured that our kids graduated from high school and went on to higher levels of education. I have always been a hard worker, but I knew that I would love to receive my high school diploma.
Thanks to this program and my support system, my dream came true. I am really proud of myself for not giving up. I encourage anyone who is in the position that I was in to try and get a high school diploma. Age does not make a difference. I am as happy today as I think I would have been many years ago. This is a great program, and I learned many skills. All of the tools that I needed were built into the program. It is amazing.
In conclusion, I will probably continue to drive trucks, but this diploma will open up some doors for me that I was not able to enter. Earning this diploma is a dream come true, and I will forever value it and encourage others to obtain one.
Times have changed a lot from when I was young. I was fortunate enough to get a job in which I could provide for my family without a high school diploma. I can only wonder how much greater our lives could have been if I had obtained my high school diploma earlier in life. I will not live in the past. I am just thankful that God enabled me to receive it now.
As a child, I just wanted a job that would provide me with a house and a car. I met my wife at the age of 19. She asked me what I wanted to do in life. I told her that I wanted to be a truck driver. At that time, I was just working different factory jobs because I had a child from a previous relationship to support. This is when I started to think about working toward my dream of becoming a truck driver.
I think I stopped attending high school when I was in the 10th grade. I was hanging out with kids who did not go to school, and I stopped attending as well. My mind was on working and trying to make a living for myself and my son. I also started partying and hanging out. I viewed school as not being a place for me.
My career dream did not change. I still had the desire to become a truck driver. I just didn’t have the willpower and motivation at that age. However, I met my wife at the age of 19, and she encouraged me to go to school and get my CDL. I was nervous because I didn’t think that school was for me. She helped me study and made up practice tests for me to take at home. I am glad that I listened to her. I have been a truck driver for over 25 years and have been able to provide for my wife and our three kids.
My fear of failing did not allow me to attempt the GED. I looked into taking it, but I was not confident enough to take the tests. My high school memories started to come back to me. I just felt as if it would be a waste of time. I guess my fear got the best of me.
I looked at some GED study guides, and I felt as if I did not have enough high school classes to be successful. The study guides asked questions that I knew I could not answer. A friend told me that he had attempted the GED test three times and failed. I guess I let fear take control of me once again. The longer I was out of school, the less I thought I knew.
I am very anxious about tests and exams. I have a daughter who also gets anxiety when it comes to tests and exams. She is not like me. Her mom pushed and encouraged her to go to school, and she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree. This is the same woman who pushed me to complete this program and not give up. I am so proud to call her my wife.
My greatest fear about returning to get my high school diploma was that I was not going to be able to do the assignments. I kept telling myself that the work was going to be too hard. I would not have a teacher to ask for help or guidance. I felt as if I had waited too long to be considering graduating from high school. However, my wife explained to me that it is never too late to go to school. School does not have an age limit.
My biggest supporter for enrolling in this program was my wife. She heard about the program from a former graduate. She wrote down the information and came home and presented it to me. At first, I told her that I would think about it. She kept talking about it day after day and night after night. Then my kids started telling me that I should try it. All of them promised to support me and guide me all the way through the program. With all that love and support, I could not resist it any longer. I made the choice to enroll in the program and do my best to complete it.
I can truly say that my instructor was very helpful and answered the text messages that I sent her. The work started out being very easy. I was completing more than one lesson per day. My good thing came to an end soon. The work became more challenging, and I started feeling overwhelmed. I thought about giving up, but my support system kept me encouraged and helped me get through challenging questions.
I felt as if my kitchen table had turned into a classroom. This is where most of my work was completed. My wife put me on a schedule so that I could complete the program in a timely manner. I really felt like I was back in a real school building.
I am not an inside person. I love working outside in the yard. When I stayed in the yard too long, my wife or daughter would come to the door and say, “It’s time to start on your schoolwork.” I would secretly smile. It made me feel good to know that they were really invested in me getting my high school diploma.
I have always regretted the fact that I dropped out of high school when I was young. I just didn’t value education until I married someone who truly values it and ensured that our kids graduated from high school and went on to higher levels of education. I have always been a hard worker, but I knew that I would love to receive my high school diploma.
Thanks to this program and my support system, my dream came true. I am really proud of myself for not giving up. I encourage anyone who is in the position that I was in to try and get a high school diploma. Age does not make a difference. I am as happy today as I think I would have been many years ago. This is a great program, and I learned many skills. All of the tools that I needed were built into the program. It is amazing.
In conclusion, I will probably continue to drive trucks, but this diploma will open up some doors for me that I was not able to enter. Earning this diploma is a dream come true, and I will forever value it and encourage others to obtain one.
Times have changed a lot from when I was young. I was fortunate enough to get a job in which I could provide for my family without a high school diploma. I can only wonder how much greater our lives could have been if I had obtained my high school diploma earlier in life. I will not live in the past. I am just thankful that God enabled me to receive it now.