“Tragedy leads to graduations for Mercy Drive residents” |
| Tragedy leads to graduations for Mercy Drive residents Posted: 12 Aug 2010 06:18 PM PDT The audience at Northwest Community Center whooped and hollered as the graduates moved their tassels from right to left, the ceremonious tradition signifying degree completion. The group celebrated the first graduates of the Hal P. Marston GED Program Thursday night during its inaugural graduation at the community center on W.D. Judge Drive in Orlando. Seven students, one man and six women, successfully completed the General Educational Development program just a little over a year after its inception. "When tragedy strikes you can either accept defeat or rise above and win," Orlando Police Chief Val Demings said to the graduates. "That's exactly what you have done." The idea for the Orlando Police Department's GED program was born from the tragic triple murder in July 2008 at the Palms Apartments — now known as Windsor Cove — on Mercy Drive. Two teens and an adult were killed in hail of gunfire during the day when children played outside. After that, police and community members decided enough was enough. Officer Thaddeus Jones was tasked with implementing the program for the residents of Mercy Drive and the Palms Apartments, after meetings with them showed education was a major concern. "It's amazing all of the obstacles these people faced on a daily basis," Jones said. "Through tragedy we get graduation." Graduate Latisha Williamson's life started over in January. She'd lost her car, her apartment and job as a result of domestic violence; but she was determined to turn her life around. "In the last eight months, I got my diploma, found and maintained employment and I got a vehicle," the 22-year-old single mother said. "Life is going good. It's going in the right direction." Thursday night she smiled brightly when Jones read her name and Demings placed a medal around her neck. Williamson's next stop: the Medical Office Administration program at Valencia Community College. It's been a tough journey for Williamson, who was forced to drop out of school when she was 17 to take care of her ailing mother and five younger siblings in West Palm Beach. "I had to start working and school came last," Williamson said. She attempted to get her GED twice, but each time, circumstances of life prevented her from completing the programs. After her daughter, 2-year-old Leneice Davis, was born, she moved to Orlando with an aunt to get a fresh start. When she saw the flier for the GED program, she called immediately. And this time, she didn't give herself any option but to succeed. -- Jerald Anderson got his GED to make a point. He wanted to prove to himself that he could do it, and show his children that they could graduate and go even farther. "I got to the point where I was disciplining my children about getting straight A's and then I looked at myself," he said. "How can I tell my children to do something if I'm not doing it? How can I tell my children to graduate, if I haven't?" This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS tool — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page. |
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