State-Journal.com - Finally crossing the finish line

Photo By State Journal/Kelly MackeyThurman Newsom talks about the hardships he endured while earning his GED as he gives a graduation address during the Frankfort-Franklin County Community Education GED graduation at the Thorn Hill Learning Center. “When you help me, you don’t just help me,” he said. “You help my wife, you help my grandkids – you help everything.”

Photo By State Journal/Kelly MackeyDur Jockers stands in front of a mural of Frankfort in the Thorn Hill Education Center hallway as he waits for the Frankfort-Franklin County Community Education GED graduation ceremony to begin. In all, 114 adults received GEDs from Frankfort Franklin County Community Education. Colleges and employers recognize the GED as the equivalent of a high school diploma.

Dressed in black caps and gowns, 60 graduates of the GED program at the Thorn Hill Learning Center got their diplomas - and a new start - in a ceremony Thursday.

In all, 114 adults received GEDs from Frankfort-Franklin County Community Education this year. The graduates who participated in Thursday’s ceremony were honored with awards, scholarships and applause from a packed crowd of family and friends.

“Nobody does this alone,” said Mike Rosenstein, executive director of the center.

At age 55, Thurman Newsom was the oldest to graduate, and the last of his siblings to earn a diploma. His mother, who is 85, was there Thursday to cheer him on.

Newsom quit school in the eighth grade, moved to Frankfort and got a job at the Bendix brake plant. He stayed there until the company left Frankfort in 2007.

Suddenly, he was out of work and without a high school diploma.

“Here I am, with all this experience, and no GED,” he told the audience.

In January of 2008, he started at Thorn Hill.

“They put stuff in this hard head I didn’t even know could get in there,” Newsom said. “I did math I’d never seen when I went to school.”

He finished 10 months later, but in the midst of a down economy, decided to go to college instead of pursuing full-time work. He and his brother enrolled together, and in their first semester, Newsom says they each earned a 3.5 GPA.

“When you help me, you don’t just help me,” he said. “You help my wife, you help my grandkids – you help everything.”

Carolyn Wainscott dropped out of school in the ninth grade. She said she pursued a GED several times, but got frustrated and quit each time.

But in 2007, she started again, balancing her class work with two jobs.

“I’ve always dreamed of this moment, standing here in a cap and gown, achieving my GED,” she said in the building where she started her education, as a student at Thorn Hill Elementary.

Colleges and employers recognize the GED as the equivalent of a high school diploma. According to Kentucky Adult Education, it’s earned after successful completion of a five-part test in social studies, science, literature, writing and math.

Frankfort-Franklin County Community Education offers free preparation classes, and it serves as a testing center.

According to the Council on Postsecondary Education, Kentucky had an 11 percent increase in GED graduates from fiscal year 2007 to 2008. It was the largest growth in seven years, the council said.

2008/2009 GED graduates

Karla Azofeifa

De Shawn J. Barnett

JennaRose Bartley

Michael A. Best

Hayleigh B. Black

Aaron J. Boatwright

Brooke Y Boll

Antonio D. Bolling

Brandon S. Bowen

Ashley N. Broughton

Hope M. Broughton

Angela L. Brown

Ashley B. Bryant

Courtney M. Bryant

David H. Butler

Kisha N. Campbell

Mary A. Campbell

Megan D. Carey

Larry W. Carman

Christina R. Carpenter

Marilyn Cirillo

Mariah T. Clark

Shannon R. Collins

Joshua S. Conway

Christina L. Cook

Teresa F. Cook

Kristen A. Cooper

Susanne B. Cordobes

Ashton D. Corn

Patricia Cox

Natasha R. Cummins

Sandra N. Curtis

Travis Devers

Lisa R. Dews

Shay R. Dobson

John W. Ethington

David L. Gabbard

Dylan H. George

Taylor B. Giles

Brandon J. Goode

Brandi N. Graham-Jones

Conner Gray

Cathy S. Green

Cameron T. Hagy

Ashley S. Hall

Maria G. Herrera

Rogelio Herrera Jr.

Rogelio Herrera Sr.

Rafael S. Hieatt

Deborah G. Hill

Matthew R. Hockensmith

Charles C. Hopper

Treva Huspon

Christopher A. Hutcheson

David A. Jockers

Kelly Johnson

Leah D. Johnson

Jordana M. Jones

Megan K. Kinslow

Robert W. Kinslow

Robert D. Lawhon III

Frank W. Lineweaver

Amy M. Marston

Joshua S. Martin

John T. Mathus

Jordan W. McGuire

Jonathan Miles

Kimberly J. Miller

Courtney M. Mitchell

Erin P. Mitchell

Thurman M. Newsom

Samantha A. Norris

Joseph M. Peyton

Kenna J. Porter

Michael R. Powell Sr.

Walter E. Price

Jamie A. Reneer

Cliftina B. Reyes

Heather N. Roberts

Miranda J. Roberts

Arturo Rodriguez

Carmen J. Rodriguez

Tabatta P. Rodriguez

Matthew A. Rudd Sr.

Matthew A. Rutherford

Ashby S. Sanderson

Philip R. Shows Jr.

Katarina A. Simpson

Diana M. Smith

Jennifer S. Smith

Logan A. Smith

Heather N. St. John

Aaron W. Sullivan

Nicholas H. Sutherland

Christopher R. Swan

Gary L. Sweet

Ashley M. Templeton

Caleb J. Thomas

Amanda E. Thompson

Kyle A. Tracy

Tony A. Traylor

Carolyn M. Wainscott

Chailee Wainscott

Danny L. Wallace

Shawn D. Watson

Kristin M. Wethington

Jeffrey A. Wheat

Aaron K. Wilson

John W. Wilson

Zachery L. Winans

Keomie S. Wright

April J. Wynn

Oscar Zavala-Mosqueda

All names provided by Frankfort/Franklin County Community Education.