“I am so excited,” Ms. Harriet shared. “I wanted to come back to school, but I never did get a chance to go back. But thanks to GEC, I’m right here today.”
That "today" was the culmination of courage and commitment. Encouraged by her granddaughter, a 2023 GEC graduate, Ms. Harriet enrolled in September 2023. Less than two years later, she’s not just celebrating receiving her diploma she’s modeling lifelong learning and resilience.
“It will be tears of joy,” she said before the ceremony. “I might want to run.”
What’s next? Retirement isn’t slowing her down. “I want to go back to work part-time,” she said. “I’m sitting around doing nothing, and I want to take this diploma and do something with it. I don’t want it to sit on the shelf.”
Her presence at GEC was more than just motivating, it was magnetic. “It was a beautiful experience coaching Ms. Harriet,” said Marcel Parker, GEC’s Student Support and Culture Specialist. “She made it easy. She came every day with joy and determination.”
To others who think age is a barrier, Ms. Harriet is clear, “It’s never too late, and once you go back you’ll see that it was worth it. I am happier that I did it.”
The July Class of 2025 is a reflection of the GEC mission, this year’s graduates ranged in age from 16 to 75 years old.
Executive Director Dr. Chelsea Kirk summed it up best, “Graduation is the moment of proof, self-validation, and the realization that yes, I can do this, and more. The Class has come together as a community to ensure they all reached this day. Not everyone started together on the same day, but they finished together on the same day.”
Ms. Harriet was the oldest in the class and an inspiration to all; exemplifying lifelong learning and inspiring everyone with her determination and achievement.