Judie

Judie believed she had already earned her GED in 2002, but recently learned the school she obtained it from was not accredited.  She needed to get a new one, or she would lose her job.

That’s when she turned to the YWCA Community Adult Learning Lab for help in getting a new GED. The staff immediately began mentoring Judie and took steps to ensure she would succeed.

While Judie did well in most of the tests, she struggled with math, “I was convinced I was going to fail again, but they pushed me and encouraged me to not give up.” Judie soon passed all the tests for her GED.

Judie says one of her proudest moments came when one of her children framed her GED and hung it on their wall.

“I am always telling them why education is so important,” Judie says.  She now has a new goal of becoming a nurse and has enrolled in classes at Cardinal Stritch University.

United Way invests in adult learning programs that promote financial stability and independence.

Learn more about United Way’s critical work in Income.