Youth Programs
GED Program Creates Opportunity and Hope for Participants
Francisco Estrada and Jonathan Ferreras walked away from high school last year, but they knew they weren’t done with their formal education.
And when both young men – Estrada is 19 and Ferreras is 18 – passed the GED with flying colors recently, after taking classes at Springfield Housing Authority’s Deborah Barton Neighborhood Network Center, they knew they were well on the road to success.
“I wasn’t motivated at all when I was in school,” said Estrada, who was a junior at the High School of Science and Technology. “But I decided right then and there that I was going to get my GED. I didn’t want to waste any years without my diploma.”
Ferreras, who came to Springfield from Bronx, New York, agreed.
“I got tired of sitting around after I left school. I wanted to do something with my life,” he said.
SHA grants coordinator Lidya Rodriguez, center, stands between successful GED candidates Francisco Estrada, 19, and Jonathan Ferreras, 18. Both young men live in Springfield.
Both young men got on the waiting list for the SHA’s program to prepare people for the General Educational Development test. Those who pass have the equivalent of a high school diploma, and can go on to college, or have an easier time landing jobs.
Springfield has a dearth of GED programs — just seven, and each has limited spots. The SHA program, run at the center located at the John L. Sullivan Apartments in the Liberty Heights neighborhood, serves just 15 at a time, and the wait can be lengthy.
SHA grants coordinator Lidya Rodriguez said Estrada and Ferreras did so well on their placement test that she put them in classes quickly, knowing they would move up and out quickly.
They attended classes every weekday, for three hours at a time. On top of that, both studied every night on their own, driven to pass.
“They were really committed,” said Rodriguez.
The SHA is has applied for a grant to greatly expand the program, opening up spots for dozens more, potentially, and at two additional sites. Rodriguez said that will mean more opportunities for people like Estrada and Ferreras.
Their next step? Each young man has a plan, and is determined to keep moving forward.
“I see myself as a marine biologist,” said Estrada, who will likely register at one of the area community colleges for September.
Ferreras wants to be a veterinarian one day.
“I love animals,” he said.
Both young men will receive ongoing job and school counseling at the Barton Center at Sullivan.
