All 2012-2013 GED achievers in Hinds Community College’s district of Hinds, Rankin, Warren, Copiah and Claiborne counties are invited to participate in a special graduation ceremony at 6 p.m. June 6.
Adults who have gotten their General Education Development high school equivalency certificate in the past year can participate in the ceremony, even if they received instruction through another program. The deadline to sign up to participate in the ceremony is May 23. There is no charge for participation.
The speaker for the ceremony, at Cain-Cochran Hall on Hinds Community College’s Raymond Campus, is local attorney Jonathan Bullock, who received a GED certificate himself.
Participants in the Hinds GED graduation receive a certificate commemorating their high school equivalency achievement and will wear a cap and gown for the ceremony, at no charge. They are encouraged to bring family and friends.
Each year Hinds Community College serves nearly 2,000 high school dropouts in its Adult Basic Education instructional and GED testing programs. The majority of these students are preparing to take the GED tests. Hinds, with the assistance of a Dollar General Literacy Foundation, waives the GED testing fee for students enrolled in the Hinds ABE program.
Those who pass the test are awarded a certificate equivalent to a high school diploma that allows them to continue their education at Hinds Community College and other higher education institutions.
“The GED has become a very popular education credential in today’s job market,” said Marshand Crisler, District Director of Adult Education and Dropout Recovery. “This ceremony provides an excellent opportunity for GED recipients to commemorate a huge accomplishment. The test is extremely challenging and according to the most recent data, only 60 percent of graduating high school seniors would pass the GED on the first attempt.”
Hinds offers the first college class free to GED achievers who are first-time college students and awards a half-tuition scholarship to high-scoring GED recipients.