Shelley Drescher never thought too much about having dropped out of high school. It was just how her life had gone – she dropped out while she was living in New Jersey, had children young and was just getting on with the business of living life. Then, last fall her son started third grade.

"My son started coming home with math homework I now lives in Turners Falls. Drescher decided to sign up to take the GED (General Education Development) test, which is needed to apply for financial aid for college if you do not have a high school degree. "All of a sudden it's Jan. 1, and I just said, ‘You know what, this is the time.' And then there I was two months later with a GED in hand and registered for classes for the upcoming semester." On Thursday, Drescher finally got to walk in cap and gown to Pomp and Circumstance, with her children watching in the audience.

This was the third year GCC has had a ceremony for the GED recipient and for Drescher and the almost 30 other students, it was a long-awaited moment. Jean Boucias is the chief GED examiner at GCC. She said the graduation ceremony is an important event in the lives of the GED graduates. "It's an amazing right or passage," Boucias said. "People work really hard to earn their GEDs and we like to celebrate that."

Boucias said the ceremony is a true community effort. The Franklin Hampshire Employment and Training agency donated the caps and gowns used each year and supplied a photographer. The Literacy Program in Greenfield supplied the pizza, decorations and flowers. Even Start printed the diplomas and local markets donated the graduation cakes. Greenfield community College sponsored the reception.

All these programs are essential in helping people earn their GEDs. The ceremony itself has become a big motivator for GED students as well, Boucias said. The ceremony is filmed by GCCTV and aired on GCTV. She has heard students say they have seen the ceremony and want to be a part of that. One time, a student saw the GED instructors ironing the caps and gowns at the Charboneau Learning Center where they are kept. She was surprised, and asked what they were doing. "She said, ‘If I had known there was going to be a graduation, would have finished my GED and graduated.' The student is now diligently studying to take her GED tests."

Graduation is an evening students can share with their families. There is always a reception afterwards where everyone can celebrate. Aside from Drescher, the other student speakers were Larry D'luzio and Mike Wing. D'luzio is a GED graduate from last year, who is the Production Coordinator at the Franklin County Community Development Corporation and an evening student at GCC. Wing earned his GED in the 70's, went on to GCC and then the University of Massachusetts where he earned his bachelor's and master's in public health. He is a case manager for the Orange Recovery House. GCC President Bob Pura gave a few words as did Tom Meechem, the State Chief GED Examiner, who was the keynote speaker.

Drescher said it felt a little backwards having her children at her graduation instead of the other way around, but she wouldn't have it any other way. She thinks that her path in life was the only way there could have been for her, and though she might have chosen differently in high school knowing what she knows now, she has no regrets. She knows her kids thought it was cool to see her up there and that she made them proud. "It really kind of just filled a spot that I didn't even know I was missing," she said, of receiving her GED. "I feel up with the rest of the world, though I never realized I felt down." Now she feels like she can help her children when they come to her with homework problems. She is currently enrolled at GCC, and college was never something she saw as a possibility in life. With graduation behind, she has crossed one more hurdle in life, but she isn't stopping there. "I'm definitely not done yet, that's for sure."