2012

Nl GEB grads ..overcome obstacles

appointment and stumbling block," she said, "God always sawme out of it because I was determined to achieve my diploma, no matter what the cost. I always dreamed of tllis moment, and now God has al– lowed my dream to come true." One ofth<' ''obstacles" Goss faced was while a student at NeshobaCentral High School. "I gut married in July 1002 when I was 17,just before my senior year," she said...The following March I found out I was pregnant. As any mother would be, I was happy, but I had no ideawhat was about to happen. I didn't count the costs before I decided to make such a major decision. I was working fulltime, going to school fulltime and I was pregnant. I got to where I bad to give up something - it couldn't be the job because I was married on my own with a mortgage, bill~> and a car note. I ended up dropping out of school six months before graduation." By dropping out of school, Goss said she missed out on several college scholarship opportunities due to her 3.5 gradP average. But as she stated, "J had everything guing for me, and 1 chose to give it all up."

walhlll~Off jobs or hearing the boss t-HY, 'J'Ye gut to let you go.' Th<'n there were times I had t(l work two jobs at a time jm;t l(l make ends meet. I tho\Wht I knew everything, and I knew notrung." 'I o add to her situation, Gos~ !;aid she was diagnosed with ~lung ailment in 2007, but flrter •·treatments and pra~'i•r'' her lungs were de– clan ~I "perfect" following an CXl:luunation in Jwlllary 2~11. Clo\8. who took GED classes at Philadelphia and Decatur l~tf Inns, said she would not hav1· ~uccceded without the em·c111rngcment of others. "I llumk God for my instru~ tors und their hard work and dedh'Hiion, and for believing in nu' when J didn't believe m my1a 1r. 1 thank God for my big~~ ~1 chcE'rleader or all, my molhl'r (Margaret Ann Cul– lunl ) We didn't always see eyl"luc•ye, but Rhe believed in mc nrul provided encourage– mcul ~;he said. Ciu:.~ also thanked her for– IDl'l' 1iustor, the H.ev Kenneth Chul .who "pushed me to ob– lalllltl)' GED after manyyears of J'l' lllg' up. He told me of his te~:>lllj'''IIIY in receiving the GE11 .und then he encour– agt•cl IU~ to gQ [OJ'W8l'd." Sli J.:ave cred1t to Barbara Bot•l{cl;; one of her instruc-

tors, for encouraging her take the GED test. "If she had never push me to take the test, only G knows how long I would ha waited," she commented. Goss also thanked instru tors, Virginia Kite "for t laughs and talks we shar during class and the constB reminders that I bad what took to succeed," and Glm and Larry Harms, "for th• help with algebra and goon try....they were so patiE with me, and for that I 1 thankful!" Now that she has receh her GED, Go8s said she ch lenges others who may DE to obtain their high sch• equivalency diploma. "I didn't just come here receive something,'' she Sl "but I also came here to g something. Today I came encour~. provoke and pt others to move forward... t to move forward unafrl and trust God to see ; through to the end." Sbe is married to T• Goss and they have th daughters, Kiana, LaKen and Gabrielle. She also haf infant granddaughter, A Marie Hunter. They attend Tabernacl Praise Church of God Christ.

From school reports

Vasllika Goss of Philadel– phia said she always "dreamed" of the moment when Rhe received her GED diploma That dream finally came true for the 37-ycar~ld grand– mother who was among lhe approximately 50 students who received diplomas from East Central Community Col– lege PresidentBillyStewart at the GED graduation held re– cently in Huff Auditorium on the Decatur campus. Goss, a certi{ied nursing assistant for Support Living, Inc., was one oftwo gruduates who provided testimonials during the semi-annual cere– mony. During her remarks, Go~s said "it took 19 years to get here," mainly due to various setbacks in her life. "Nobody knows what it cost me to get where I am today... the stumbling blocks, hard– ships, disappointments, all the struggles and all the losses," she said while holding back tears. "Everything that <.'ould happen to tsiop me hap– pened. but I did not nllow life to di

Vashlka Goss

it. There were times I did not know how I would pay the rent or buy food .. .it was al– ways one dead-end job right behind the other. .! was always

So for the past 19 years, Goss said she "struggled" just to survive. "But because God was there," Goss said, "I did make

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