Get to know LGI students
who are reaching for their dreams
Kacey Badgerow
"This is the first big thing I have finished in my whole life!" Kacey literally danced through the LGI office when she got the news that she had passed the GED. "Now I can go to college," she added already thinking toward a future that seemed non-existent before this day.
Kacey enrolled in LGI's GED preparation program in September of 2010. She started working on her studies, but then she found herself embroiled in a divorce and all the upheaval that can cause. she stopped working on her GED for awhile. Then in the early months of 2011 she reappeared. We could see that she was making progress.
Kacey, like many LGI students, set her own goals and worked hard to attain them. She says that LGI's progra was for her because it "teaches you exactly what you need to learn on the computers." she said that she had tried other programs, but could never stick with them. Maybe because she was the one who was in charge this time, she stuck with it and to her own amazement she achieved her goal and passed her GED Exam.
Kacey plans to go to college -- Ivy Tech or Harriosn. She wants to study phlebotomy. With her GED diploma in her hand, Kacey is on her way! Congratulations, Kacey!
Megan Brooks
Megan now works as a volunteer for LGI while she goes to school at Ivy Tech. You Go, Megan!
Megan came to LGI in the summer. Her life was full with the care of her little boy. She worked hard in the LGI computer lab almost every day. She stuck with it right through the summer, finishing all of her lessons. Just when she was ready to take her practice test, Megan's life took a turn in another directon. She got pregnant. It wasn't a good time and her personal life was almost overwhelming.
Megan disappeared from the classroom just as she was finishing all of her work. Summer turned to fall and fall to winter. At the end of the next summer, Megan appeared at LGI's new location. She looked healthy and seemed happy. She had delivered a baby boy and placed him for adoption with a family who would provide a stable and loving home.
Meanwhile, Megan was ready to finish the project she had started over a year ago. She took her practice test, brushed up her skills and took her GED exam and came in to share the good news. She passed the first time! Congratulations, Megan! Megan's extended family will be joining in the celebration for the GED Graduation ceremony in the spring. This is a giant step forward for Megan.
Megan says that LGI was the program for her because of the flexible schedule. Since she is a single parent she needed to fit her studies around her parenting responsibilities. She was able to study at home and in the LGI lab. Megan is supporting herself and her seven-year-old son so money is scarce. Her GED preparation was paid for by grant funding. She says that she couldn't have done it if she had been required to pay.
A new phase of Megan's life will start in January when she begins her college studies at Ivy Tech.
Stacey Atcheson
It isn't easy to be a single mom. Stacey has two children, a daughter in elementary school and a son in high school. She has many dreams, but most of all she hopes that her children will be successful. That is what started her on the path to get her GED. She says, "It was important to get a GED to be a role model to my children."
It took Stacey 8 months to achieve that goal. She would have been able to do it more quickly if she had not had to take some time off when she got a call from the school telling her that her son was having trouble. She stopped working on her GED studies to pay attention to her son.
When her son was back on the right track she got a call from Connie, an LGI coach asking her to restart her studies. That phone call spurred Stacey on and she finished her studies and took and passed her exam in October, 2010.
She says that she liked LGI because she could work on her GED preparation from home and the GED teachers were "really nice." She also credits her mother for supporting and encouraging her to finish.
Stacey will begin studying at Ivy Tech in January 2011. Her dreams are becoming reality.
Joshua Wyatt
"Things happen for a reason," Joshua Wyatt said when he thought about his GED success. He is one of those people who has said for a long time that it's time to get his GED so he can go to school and get training that will give him better opportunities. He even started to work on his GED once before. Luckily he began his studies at LGI.
When he decided to come back, LGI staff looked up the work that he already had done on the computer. He was able to start where he had left off.
Because he didn't have to start over, Joshua was able to get ready to take his GED exam in about 30 days. He had to bone up on math and practice writing his essay. He took a practice test to make sure that he was ready. The rest was in the bag.
Now Joshua is a full time student at Ivy Tech. He is majoring in Information Technology, but he may transfer into the Ivy Tech nursing program. His options expanded 10-fold with his GED success.
Congratulations, Joshua! One big reason for your success is that you didn't give up.
Shakimblee Brower
Shakimblee is a person who wants to succeed. She dreams of being an architect and having her own engineering firm. She is on her way! This year she graduated with her GED in South Bend. It took her about 4 months to do the preparation working with LGI at the Project IMPACT site in South Bend.
Shakimblee came in with her fiance. They worked together to prepare for the GED exam. She says that he helped her to stay focused. In the picture you see Shakimblee with her Mom. Her Mom is the one who found LGI and helped Shakimblee and her fiance to get enrolled in LGI's GED preparation program.
There were challenges along the way. Shakimblee says that Mr. Hugo, her LGI coach was "very supportive" and made sure that she finished her assignments and helped her when she didn't understand the lesssons.
Also, she needed documentation to register for her GED exam. Shakimblee had no ID and no birth certificate. She had to find documents so that she could register. It took perserverence and hard work, but Shakimblee did it!
Congratulations Shakimblee!