Owens Community College to host GED graduation ceremony

More than 50 area residents will be honored for achieving academic excellence as Owens Community College hosts its third annual GED Graduation Ceremony Sunday.

The ceremony is presented by the college’s Office of Adult Basic and Literacy Education and will begin at 1 p.m. in the Center for Fine and Performing Arts Mainstage Theatre.

Graduates will be receiving the Ohio High School Equivalence Diploma, also known as the General Educational Development Diploma. Class representatives Shelly Taylor and Liyaquat Qurbanali have been named keynote speakers for the ceremony.

“Owens Community College is honored to celebrate the many successes of our graduates, many of whom have defied the odds and overcome obstacles in pursuit of their GED Diploma,” said Joyce Winters, Owens Director of ABLE and Assistant Director of Student Success. “Each student has worked extremely hard to achieve their GED Diploma, which will certainly open new doors to career and educational possibilities. Several of these graduates have already registered for classes at Owens and other educational institutions. The GED is the first step toward continuing a person’s education, and we’re excited to see students taking that second step.”

Owens’ ABLE provides learning opportunities and academic resources that include reading, writing, mathematics and computer skills. Specific programs available include preparing for post-secondary training and education, obtaining a GED Diploma, improving employability skills, and learning English for speakers of other languages, among other academic resources.