Southwest Regional Adult Education is happy to announce that Aaron Hunt of Lebanon, Virginia is our first GED® graduate during the COVID-19 Pandemic, and we congratulate Aaron on his hard work, persistence, and achievement during this challenging season of life!
Aaron Hunt was no stranger to SRAE when he joined my GED® test prep class in January 2020. I had first met Aaron in 2007 when he was 19 years old and attended my class for a short time. He returned to my class a second time in 2012 at the age of 24, but his enrollment in 2020 would prove to be a turning point for this adult learner.
Aaron walked into the classroom this time with a determination I had not seen in him before. Aaron was on a mission to accomplish the goal of earning his high school level credential, and he was committed to putting in the time and effort to achieve his goal. Aaron commented, “I learned from the past that I could get a job, but it would take more than that to earn a living for my family.”
In reflecting back to 2007, Aaron recalled that at that time in his life, he didn’t really care about his education and was more interested in his social life. When he returned to the GED® program five years later in 2012, he was trying to settle down and was soon to become a parent. Eight years later in 2020, Aaron stated that he had settled into family life and wanted to prove something to himself and to his family. He wanted to be able to have a stable job and start a career.
Aaron says upon each attempt at GED® test preparation, he was always welcomed back to class and no one ever gave up on him. “Everyone tries to help you, especially the instructor,” he remarked.
After beginning his studies in January, Aaron quickly experienced success. He passed the Science and Social Studies tests in early February. He worked hard to next pass the Reasoning Through Language Arts test in early March. Then the unexpected happened. The COVID-19 Pandemic hit the United States, and on Friday, March 13, the announcement that Virginia Public Schools were closing their doors was made. On Monday, March 16, I contacted all of my students to relay the news. When Aaron got the news that our class was closed, he was heartbroken. With only one test left to pass before earning his GED® certificate, the first question on Aaron’s mind was, “When will I be able to take my final test?” The good news was that SRAE had everything in place to seamlessly transition students to its distance learning program. So Aaron, along with many other students, was able to continue his studies from home using both online curriculum and text books. We kept in touch regularly in order to monitor his progress. Aaron found it helpful that his teacher and other staff were always available whenever he had a question about something, and his wife, Savannah, was a great help to him as well as he prepared for his most challenging subject, math.
At the appropriate time, Aaron was able to take the GED Ready® Official Practice Test from his home. After passing the Mathmatical Reasoning practice test, the obvious next question was, “Where can I take the test?” At the time, the closest GED® testing center that was open was in Galax, so Aaron made the long drive and took the math test. He didn’t pass it on that first attempt, so he put in some more study time. On June 15, Russell County’s GED® Testing Center was reopened. Aaron passed another practice test and then took and passed his official GED® Mathematical Reasoning test on June 20! He had earned his GED® certificate! Aaron expressed that when he received his passing score he was overwhelmed, exited, happy, and emotional. Through the process, he learned, “Never give up no matter how hard times get.”
Aaron lives in Lebanon with his wife and daughter, and they are expecting a baby boy this fall. Aaron is currently employed, but with his newly acquired GED® certificate, he is keeping an eye open for better job opportunities. He has his sights on attending college in the future with the goal of working in law enforcement.
If you didn’t finish high school, it’s not too late to earn your GED® certificate. Contact SRAE at 276-889-5424 to register for a tuition-free GED® test prep class!