GED Stories

My name is Karen Whitlow Spears, I am 33 years old. I was a sexual abuse victim, my stepfather sexually abused me from the time I was 5 years old until I turned 15. When I finally got the nerve up to say anything, to reach out to someone for help, I thought it was probably to0 late. Although my mother had no idea what was going on she was the one that ended up in jail, and without her kids. They took us from my mother, myself and my two little brothers. Did he get punished? No he did not. And then to top things off I married when I was 17 years old, when they finally gave us back to my mother because I was afraid they would come and jerk us out of our home with our mother, since they had already put us, and her, through so much. I didn’t want them to come and jerk us out of her home also.

So since hindsight is 20/20, I see where I made my HUGE mistake but at the time I thought I was doing what was right, and since my husband to be at the time promised my mother he would let me finish school, she agreed to let me get married. But that was a lie, he wouldn’t let me go back to school. What makes me so frustrated is I had such high hopes for my future, I really wanted to do something with my life, but with me being 33 years old I have been thinking it was too late for a long time. I have since divorced my first husband who was also very mentally and verbally abusive always saying it was my fault that I was sexually abused, saying things like if I didn’t want to be raped I could’ve gotten him off of me, like a five year old even a fifteen year old can’t fight a grown man, but I didn’t realize it at the time. He had me totally convinced that it was my fault and kept it thrown in my face everyday, to the extent that I was having flashbacks and hearing his voice everyday (my stepfather) and it got to the point where I had to go on disability.

But now I have a wonderful husband who supports me and doesn’t treat me like that and wants whatever I want for my future. It’s a far cry from the abuse I endured from my first husband for 11 years. And to beat it all I feel like the court system turned around and raped me again, taking my 2 children by him away from me and giving him custody using the excuse that 89 percent of sexually abused children will abuse their own therefore giving him custody of them. So therefore I felt raped and violated all over again only not by the hands of my stepfather and his brothers but by the court system. I don’t know if I have this worded exactly right, but I will put it all in words the best way I can so bare with me please.

I left school the summer before my senior year, because I got married. The bad thing about it is I didn’t have to. I wasn’t pregnant or in trouble or anything as I explained earlier I thought I was doing the right thing and at the time my husband promised my mother he would let me finish school.

I would like to get my GED, so I can further my education. I’ve always wanted to go into the forensic science field either a forensic pathologist or a criminalist. I’m not really sure now what I would like to major in but I know the first step is getting my GED. I would either like to go on into the forensic field, or medical field, first a nurse and working my way up. I know I could do this because I haven’t lost my drive. I have since remarried, and my husband’s ambitions for me is as high as they are for myself. I want to get off disabilty and be something my children, my husband, and myself can be proud of. Through extensive counseling and a wonderful husband and mother who supports me I know I can do this.

The first step to making my dreams come true is getting my GED. The second step is going to college. I have 3 children a daughter age 15, a son age 12 and another daughter age 8. I want them to be proud of me and to be able to have a good career, so on career day when they stand up and class and are asked, “What does your mother do for a living?” They won’t have to say, “She’s on disability.”

Karen, 33, Burkesville, Ky.

Karen, the fact that you’ve gotten where you are now in life, with a good husband and a lot of potential for your future, shows that you’re a survivor. You’ve had one of the most difficult pasts imaginable…and you’re ready for a better future. Congratulations. You have the drive you need to get what you want.

You probably have a lot of the skills you need to pass the GED. We recommend taking a GED practice test, to see where you are and what you need to study. Most people in your situation find the math test is the hardest, and you may need to concentrate on math. Since you want to go into medicine, math and science will be important skills areas. But the only way to know for sure how much (and what) you need to study is to take a practice test and see how you do. You might surprise yourself with how good your scores are! Then, find a good study program to help you succeed. Seeing you studying, and succeeding, can be a great inspiration to your children, as well.

We have a lot of confidence in your ability to succeed… by going one step at a time, and following your plan to get what you want.

The GED Academy