GED Stories

I would like to be working in a good company. That would provide great benefits, 401K, and good pay.

The reason why I want to achieve this is because, my family has suffered in the past for the lack of education. Working for companies that do not care for their employees. Not providing them with opportunities to move up in the company, not providing benefits for them or their families, and paying them less then anyone else.

Even though my parents did not have the education on paper, that did not mean that they were not smart people. They even knew more than some of the supervisors that were over them. But, since they did not have a paper indicating that they had the knowledge to do that type of job, then they did not get paid top money even though they were doing the supervisor’s job even though they did not have the title.

It made it very hard for us children to see how the employers would treat our parents.

You as a child look up to your parents, and I could still remember when my father’s supervisor yelled at him. I did not ever want my child feel the way I felt that day. My father at the time all he could do is bow his head and agree to what they were accusing him of. He had no choice! NO CHOICE! I will always make sure that I have a choice. If you were able to see my father he was very tall and strong and seeing him bow his head so that he could keep his job (to provide for his family) he did nothing. I really felt so small and disgusted in how some employers think that it is ok to speak to human beings this way.

I do understand that it takes commitment to get to where you want to be. But, at the same time I also think that you need to treat everyone around you the way you would like to be treated. Just because you have a degree does not mean that you have the right to speak down to people.

When I get to the position I want to be in a company, I will always remember where I came from, and I will talk to people the way I would like to be talked to, treat them with respect so that they can respect me.

I will continue with school to get the education that I would need in order to achieve my goal.

This essay was written by one of The GED Academy’s students. We thought Edith’s story really expressed the frustration a lot of people feel at not being treated well, just because they don’t have a diploma. Thank you, Edith, for letting us share your story with other people working to get their GEDs.

The GED Academy