VGCC’s “Three Musketeers” Help Each Other Succeed
In Vance-Granville Community College’s GED program, three women are known as the “Three Musketeers,” and they share the philosophy of the men in the classic novel: “All for one, and one for all.” Peggy McGohan of Oxford and Mary Evans and Jackie Robertson, both of Henderson, met while taking math classes under VGCC instructor Jeff Finch. The three became good friends as they spent hours together completing the requirements of the GED . The different skills and life experiences of each woman complemented and reinforced the others. On Nov. 25, all three passed the GED math test. For Evans and Robertson, that signified the culmination of several months of study, in which they passed the other four GED tests, in writing, social studies, science and reading. McGohan, who first enrolled in the program in 2006, has one more subject area to pass: writing. “Peggy was waiting for us, she just didn’t know it,” Evans said recently. The three have continued coming to Finch’s class even after passing the test, to further hone their math skills.
Their paths converged from very different beginnings. “I wish I had done this years ago,” Evans said of enrolling in the GED program. “I worked in manufacturing for 17 years, and then I was laid off. I decided I didn’t want to work in a factory anymore, so I came to Vance-Granville to get my GED.” With the GED under her belt, Evans will now pursue Nursing Assistant training at the college, possibly to be followed by further education. Robertson enrolled with an eye toward gaining skills, especially in math, that will help her run the small business that she and her husband own. Now, Robertson plans to take computer courses at the college.
McGohan quit school at age 16 to help raise her younger siblings when her father became ill. She was originally motivated to earn a GED when her granddaughter dropped out of high school shortly before she was due to graduate. “I told her, ‘If you will go back to high school, Grandma will go, too,’” McGohan recalled. Today, her granddaughter is in college, while McGohan is on the verge of completing the GED high school equivalency exam. “At first, it was a promise to my granddaughter, but later it became something I wanted to do for myself,” she reflected. “I want to say that I completed it, and to tell other people that you’re never too old to learn or to climb the ladder of success. Mary and Jackie have great futures ahead of them.” At age 71, McGohan is interested in obtaining a GED for personal satisfaction, not because it would open up new job possibilities for her. McGohan said that she enjoys encouraging young people to get as much education as they can, both to get better jobs and to improve their self-esteem. After being supported and encouraged by McGohan, Evans and Robertson now find themselves rooting on their friend, in hopes that they all can walk across the graduation stage at the same time in 2009. The three recalled their exuberant reaction when they passed the math exam, which they claim could be heard all over campus. When they graduate with a GED, they promise an even bigger emotional display.
For more information or to register for GED/literacy classes, call Sue Grissom at (252) 738-3315.
Above: VGCC instructor Jeff Finch (standing) assists three students, from left, Jackie Robertson of Henderson, Peggy McGohan of Oxford and Mary Evans of Henderson. (VGCC photo)
