42 earn high school diplomas
Jul 18, 2025Picture this. It’s 2023 and I’m driving home from work at 11 p.m., exhausted. I’m burnt out and honestly questioning everything. Have you ever had one of those nights where you’re just over it and you’re wondering what’s the point of it? That was me. I was wondering if I missed my chance, if it was too late to start over and maybe I was just stuck where I was on second shift, driving home 45 minutes every night.
And then, of all things, it’s almost like an angel spoke to me. My radio started playing Billy Joel – specifically, the song “Vienna.” I swear that night that Billy Joel came and spoke to me… [the opening lyrics of “Vienna] are: Slow down. Slow down, you crazy child. You’re so ambitious for a juvenile. But then if you’re so smart, tell me, why are you still so afraid? Where’s the fire? What’s the hurry about? You better cool it off before you burn it out. You’ve got so much to do and so many hours.
Everything changed for Elle Liberty that night. She quit her job and enrolled in the High School Equivalency (HSE) program at Rockingham Community College – and earned her GED in less than three weeks.
Liberty told that story Thursday morning, July 17, during this year’s HSE graduation ceremony.
“The same drive that brought you here will take you anywhere that you want to go in life,” she told the graduates.
For Liberty, that drive pushed her to earn an associate degree from RCC this summer, and to enroll in UNC-Charlotte this fall to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Bioinformatics.
Members of the Class of 2025 have their own drive to succeed. Katie Hamby plans to pursue an education in criminal justice and a career in forensic pathology. Ryan Dodson isn’t yet sure about a career path but wants to go to college, while June Godwin will pursue her writing passion. Kenya McAllister will earn an EKG certification at RCC. Cameron Woolwine’s dream is to open a restaurant to sell art, so he will take Business Administration at RCC, and then transfer to a culinary and art school. Chasity McDuffie has her eye on an Associate Degree in Medical Billing and Coding, and Akia Mills wants to be a Certified Nursing Assistant and notary. And Amanda Wray is leaving the medical field to pursue an Associate Degree in Computer-Integrated Machining this fall at RCC.
During the ceremony, it was announced that graduate Caley Nelson of Reidsville was awarded a full scholarship to RCC in the program of her choice. This is just one of the 280 scholarships, managed by the RCC Foundation, that are available to students. It takes just 30 minutes to fill out an online application to earn a scholarship ranging from $100 to the cost of a full program at RCC.
RCC congratulates the following graduates:
Cristyanna Barnes, Julian Barnett, Richard Blackwell, Destiny Broome, Kimberly Cox, Saniyah Davis, Joshua Dean, Bryson Denny, Ryan Dodson, Alexus Edmonds, Mikayla Ferguson, Ayden Fetterly, Mallory Gillespie, Gwendolyn Godwin, Brooklyn Greiner, June Grimes, Jasmine Hagwood, Katie Hamby, William Jernigan, Anthony Johnson, LaSascha Johnson, Zachary Johnson, Kenya McAllister, Chasity McDuffie, Rachel Merricks, Akia Mills, McKina Moyer, McKyah Moyer, Jerick Navarrete, Caley Nelson, Hermina Ontiveros, Terry Pruitt III, Renee Roach, Lisa Rodriquez-Perez, Makiah Scarlette, Parker Smith, Mikinzie Spainhour, Harley Surles, Caleb Taylor, Cameron Woolwine, Amanda Wray, and Jordan Wray.
Anyone interested in completing their high school education can enroll in RCC’s free program and earn their High School Equivalency diploma. Classes are held on campus, virtually, and online, and are designed to prepare students to take the GED or HiSET test, which can be done on the RCC campus.
For information on either of these programs, contact College and Career Readiness Interim Director Alecia Nicole Gaines at 336-342-4261 ext. 2328 or gainesa@rockinghamcc.edu. Information can also be found at https://rockinghamcc.edu/continuing-education/adult-high-school-ged/.
~Story by RCC Director of Public Information Gerri Hunt
