Thirty-five students earned a general equivalency diploma over the past year through Finger Lakes Community College’s free GED program.
Several graduates attended a ceremony June 11 on FLCC’s main campus in Canandaigua, where speakers highlighted persistence and the role of adult education in opening new paths for students.
FLCC’s program allows students to work at their own pace with an instructor while preparing for the four exams required to earn a high school equivalency diploma. Students take in-person math and reading assessments to determine their skill levels.
Jeff Babcock, a 2016 FLCC graduate, spoke at the ceremony about dropping out of high school and working in construction for more than a decade before earning his GED through FLCC as a tribute to his father. He later completed an associate degree, transferred to SUNY Brockport and has worked at FLCC since 2018. He is now manager of instructional technology services.
Graduate Rose Velez Vera also shared her story, including experiencing homelessness, before earning her diploma. She has enrolled in FLCC’s business administration program.
“It’s not about radical changes. It’s about consistency,” Vera said. “Success comes from trying one more time.”
Graduates came from across the region, including Ontario, Seneca, Wayne, Yates, Livingston and Monroe counties. The list included students from Canandaigua, Geneva, Manchester, Seneca Falls, Waterloo, Newark, Penn Yan and other communities.
FLCC offers GED and English as a Second Language classes in Ontario, Seneca, Wayne and Yates counties at FLCC locations, libraries and workforce development offices. More information is available through FLCC’s adult basic education program.
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