Jacob had heard about the GEDWorks™ from co-workers; it has been part of Taco Bell’s benefits for some time. One day, he took some time to learn more about how long it takes to prepare for and pass the test. Jacob was happy to learn that it would only take him a few months from start to graduation.
While the high school setting did not work out for Jacob, he had always valued education. In fact, he was an honors student during school. Unfortunately, due to some problems at home, Jacob could not attend school every day and dedicate the attention he wanted to his courses. When he finally decided to leave, he started working full time and was able to save enough money to cover the entire first year of college! All he had to do was achieve his high school credential.
Jacob’s manager at Taco Bell encouraged him to sign up for GEDWorks. He didn’t have to choose between working and being a student; he could do both. “I was grateful because it’s a cool opportunity for my place of work to offer such a great opportunity and cover the costs. I could work full time and get an equivalency diploma. Taco Bell was really flexible about my schedule so that I could study and take the test,” Jacob shared. Everything he needed to succeed was included, from prep tools to personalized guidance from an adviser to the testing fees.
As he was preparing for the GED, Jacob’s mom was his greatest motivator. She had also left high school early for personal reasons, and seeing her son succeed made her very proud. He inspired her to consider getting her GED too!
Jacob considers his GED a very valuable asset to his confidence and his resume. Nobody can call him a drop-out; he simply chose a different route for his high school education. His advice to others: “Prioritize education above all.”
Jacob’s next step is college. Thanks to his high GED scores, he even has some college ready badges to get into the college of his dreams and possibly receive credit for some courses.