Recent GED graduates to participate in CLC ceremony

If you have received or will receive a GED diploma in Lake County between May 10, 2012, and May 16, 2013, you are invited participate in the College of Lake County’s GED graduation ceremony May 19.

The ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 19, in the Physical Education Center on the CLC Grayslake campus. The theme is “Overcoming Obstacles,” and the uplifting ceremony will include a keynote speaker, music and remarks by scholarship winners.

According to Michele Vaughn, Ed.D., associate dean of community education, there are increasing numbers of students who completed the Spanish version of the GED who plan to participate in the 2013 ceremony.

To highlight this fact, a married couple, Blanca Miriam Cahue and Simon Martinez of Zion, who completed their GED diplomas at CLC, will announce the names of the graduates as they receive their certificates. English is their second language, which both now speak fluently, and both have continued on to college.

Cahue earned a GED diploma in 2012. She put off going back to school until her children were grown and the youngest one began college. In another year, both of her sons will have earned college degrees. Financially, it is now possible for Cahue to return to school and pursue an associate degree and make her own dream of an education come true.

Martinez went to school in his native country until sixth grade. Three years ago, he lost his job and decided it was time to go back to school to earn a GED. After receiving it in 2011, Martinez started and completed an associate degree in CLC’s Automotive Technology program. He said that the journey was not easy, especially since English is his second language, but he knew that nothing was impossible.

The GED graduation keynote speaker will be Ryan Stivers, who dropped out of Mundelein High School but went on to earn his GED diploma and attend CLC. Stivers served as vice president of CLC’s Student Government Association and won the President’s Award.

In 2012, he was the sole All-American Academic Team Gold Scholar in Illinois and was the first CLC student to receive the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, a $30,000 award. He now works part time while double majoring in secondary education and history at Lake Forest College.

GED graduates are invited to apply for a CLC Foundation GED scholarship by May 3. For more information about GED testing or to participate in graduation, contact Anyela Arango at (847) 543-2578 by May 16.

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