Adult graduates celebrate long-awaited diplomas

Although graduation equivalency testing is on hold in the state, adult diploma programs are going ahead as planned.

When Joe Bates walked into a classroom at Littleton High School in January, he was by far the oldest student in the room. It was awkward, but Bates was determined to complete the credits that he needed to obtain his high school diploma, 25 years after he was first slated to graduate.

“It was very humbling walking in as a 43-year-old man, surrounded by all these 16- and 17-year-old kids, to know I should have done this when I was their age,” said Bates.

A few months later, on May 11, Bates received that long-awaited diploma, after finishing his high school career through Above The Notch Community School, which offers adult learners afternoon and night school classes to finish their high school credit requirements. At that moment, not even a global pandemic could diminish Bate’s pride and optimism for the future. 

“It was pretty amazing,” he said. “Throughout my whole adult life, I felt very regretful that I did not do this the first time. When I finally got the diploma in my hand, the burden and the pressure felt like it came right off my shoulders. It was relieving to know I have the diploma now.”

Like Bates, most adult graduates in New Hampshire are driven to get their diploma by a sense of personal satisfaction, said Sarah Bennett, administrator for the New Hampshire Bureau of Adult Education. This year, degree programs around the state are getting creative in order to celebrate these graduates and acknowledge the hard work that they put into completing high school. 

“A number of adult diploma programs have done really creative graduation celebrations,” Bennet said. 

At Above The Notch Community School, director Rachelle Cox personally delivered diplomas to the school’s 14 graduates, who accepted them in their caps and gowns. She then put together a YouTube video highlighting the graduates and their future plans. Cox said that adult learners and teens who graduate from alternative learning programs deserve to be celebrated just as much as any graduates.

“People look down on adults that don’t have diplomas, but we all learn differently,” she said. “Those adults are willing to step out and say ‘I can do this.’ Yeah, it took Joe 43 years, but he did it. His kids got to witness that.”

Zanna Blaney, who oversees the adult diploma program offered through Second Start in Concord, said that her students are focused, even amid the pandemic. One student, David Webber-Lomuscio, of Henniker, lost his job about a month ago, but continued his education and will get his diploma this month. 

“It was nice to see him be so resilient and complete his classes,” she said. 

Webber-Lomuscio, who has children who are 1 and 5, left high school to work. He always knew he wanted to get his diploma to show his kids how much he values an education. 

“I needed to set a good example for my kids,” he said.  “I believe education is paramount to society. And, I want to make sure they know you have to finish what you start.”

Options for adult learning

People who did not get their high school diploma with their graduating class have two options in New Hampshire: they can pursue their diploma — like Bates did — or they can complete a high school equivalency test. Previously the GED was the test used to measure equivalency, but now the HiSET is used in the state. The exam consists of five separate subject area tests. 

Diploma programs, including the Above The Notch School and 28 other programs that the Bureau of Adult Education funds in the state, allow students to make up missed credits and obtain an actual high school diploma and transcript, just the same as they would have if they graduated on time. 

Many students want that diploma, Bennet said. In most cases, the military requires a diploma, not a high school equivalency, she added. 

“There are times when a high school equivalency is considered the easy way out, because it’s a 7-hour test, as opposed to going to classes,” she said. 

However, the HiSET testing is rigorous, she added. Still, New Hampshire students fare well: about 90% of New Hampshire students pass the test, with 900 residents getting their high school equivalency each year, Bennet said. Overall, New Hampshire is a well-educated state, and most adult learners have completed 10th or 11th grade, so they have many skills, she said.  The Bureau helps facilitate training sessions for the test, and the state requires students to take and pass a practice exam before sitting for the HiSET. 

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“We try to make sure that if people are going to test, they’re going to pass it,” she said. “It can be discouraging if they take it and fail.”

Having a diploma or high school equivalency is very important whether students want to enter the workforce or pursue higher education. 

“There are very few employers in New Hampshire who will hire individuals without a high school diploma [or equivalency],” she said. 

Learning interrupted

When the pandemic hit, adult diploma programs switched to distance learning just like other schools in the state, and learners continued on track. However, HiSET testing and instruction was put on hold, and it is just now resuming, Bennet said on Monday, June 1. 

“The HiSET is particularly challenging right now,” Bennet said. “Everything that was in process was halted.”

The New Jersey-based publisher of the test shut down in March, and stopped printing new tests or accepting paper-based test results, which make up the majority of tests in New Hampshire, Bennet said. The test is available online, but needs to be proctored, and with public institutions like libraries and schools shut down, no tests have been offered in New Hampshire since the pandemic took hold. 

“We have not done any HiSET testing since March,” Bennet said. 

Bennet said that she hopes to have HiSET training programs back up and running within two weeks, possibly including small-group in person sessions. Still, access to schools, where the training usually takes place, remains an issue. 

Privacy laws in New Hampshire could interfere with offering the test online because there is a third-party proctoring service, Bennet said. When the state resumes paper testing, hopefully this summer, the Bureau will prioritize students who only need to complete one or two more subject areas to obtain their HiSET. 

“The timing was not so great for those students, and we will do everything in our power to meet that need as quickly as we can in a way that is safe for our test takers,” Bennet said. “I know we have a lot of people waiting to test.”

Planning for the future

Now that he has his diploma, Bates has enrolled in White Mountain Community College in North Conway, where he will study health and human services. He hopes to get his bachelor’s degree one day. In the meantime, he continues to work at the North Country Serenity Center in Littleton, as a recovery coach and volunteer coordinator. After 30 years of addiction, Bates has been sober for two and a half years, and wants to help other people learn from his experience. 

“I want to give back what was given to me,” he said. “I want people to see that recovery is possible and good things do happen to people in recovery. As long as you work for it, you can get anything you want.”

Webber-Lomuscio is currently in the hiring process as a commercial truck driver. After learning about programming and coding in school, he might consider a career shift in the future. He had a similar message for other people considering going back to school.

“You’re never too old and you never know what you’re capable of unless you try.”

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These articles are being shared by partners in The Granite State News Collaborative. For more information visit collaborativenh.org.