Ed gradua e tell
H;;tJond Parle Adult Bduca­
tion "aduat,d SS students
/1IIIiuuy 1& Among 1M $pItlkes
WG.f one of the graduates, MllI1ha
Hams-Harper: She tells her own
inspiring story:
Good Evening:
Dr. Eldon Martin, Superin­
tendent of Schools; Board of
'Education Member; Mr.
Glenn Holman, director of
Adult Education; Mr. William
Colden, principal; counselors,
teachers, taff,' relatives and
friends.
On behalf of the January .
1990 gra uating class, I bring
you greetings,
My name is Martha Harris­
Harper, I am 32 year -old and I
have completed my high chool
education here at Bright Adul
Education Center.
As I 100 bac over my life, I
didn't think this day would ever
come. I am the oldest of 9
childrenrai d primarily in the
south.
. We moved a lot when I was
growing up, generally goin J he­
twecn Virginia and Philadel­
phia. My first recollection of
school w s negative. I haled
school.
1 wasn't a bad girl, but I had
what you might call an "at­
titudc". Wc ere very poor, and
a combination of poverty and
ignorance made me believe that
all I needed to get by in the
orld wa "street smarts". I
tarred skipping school early;
I
yto tho
of
h r
tory·
y�u hoCom
from a background
of hard hlp nd
pov rty go back to
chool- tomorrow
"
I no proml eel to
u . Do It t�ay .
about 11 or 12. I w hanging
out with older kids and staying
out I teo By the time I was 15
years old I had been in a foster
home for a year and half, a
boarding school for two and
half years and I bad bees in j .
15 . es, By e lime 16
ye rs old, I was a drop-out and
al 0 pregnant. 'th my first
child.
I moved to Michigan in 1983
and began raising my fant child.
I moved to Michigan in 1983
and began raising my family.
As my children grew up I
realized that I needed a little
more than "street marts". My
children.would ask me to help
them with their homcwork and
I would direct them to a diction­
ary because . really couldn't
help them myself.
Even when I went hopping
- I realized how much more I
needed to learn. There might be
something advertised for 25%
off and I unable to figure
out how much the item C06t.
By the time I turned 25 years
of e I had arted and quit
school 4 tim . I took some clas­
ses in Detroit, but I felt dis­
couraged because I wanted my
high school diploma, instead of
GED. I struggled with my
family and worked awhile, but I
couldn't get the kind of job I
. wanted because I didn't have a
High School Diploma.
Finally, I saw a banner sign
hung over the viaduct near' -
Sears and the sign was an an­
nouncement for Highland Park
Adult Education Program.
I became a student here in
1987, and I got more than I
came for. Not only did I receive
an education, but I also
received encouragement and
gained more confidence . p
myself.
You can get an education al­
most anywhere. There are many
Adult education programs
around - but here at Highland
Park Adult Education the
teacher reallly care about stu­
dents and take a personal inter­
est in each one. I had many,
many, problems while attend­
ing school and there wasn't a
day that went by when I didn't
want to give up. .
I had to do my homewor
after working 8 hours, coo ing
. . dinner; cleaning oust aftd then ·
. I had 0 bel my -children with .
JA UARY 1990 GRADUATES
SCliOOL DISTRICT OF THE CITY OF HIGHLAND PARK
Adult Edue tion Division
Maurin Agurs
Anthony 5. All n
D siree All n
• Dyke S. Andrews
'Sherilyn B nks
Albert Bapri te
. ROrk11d Bool r
Eric Brown
lisa R Bunts
ikira Clark
,� Crair
Richard Clem. n
Chart D. COHq_n
Larry Dotsey
Stephen Fisher
Angelo France
M Ivin Grapenreed
Pamoja Green
Patrkia Greenwood
Cleveland Harris
Martha Harris-Harper
Ethel ae Harri on
. Sarah Henderson
Br nda Herron
Pearlie 'Hood
W Rhonda Ho vard
, Dohta lac on
•
[ohn Jackson
Inez Jones
Terrance Jones
Jamon Jordan
Dashawn King
Tr aci Knight
Margaret McKinney
Clarence Myricks
Tard Phelps
Jacqueline Rabon
[thelene Richardson
Lori Richardson
Anthony Robinson
Stan ord Rodgers
• Gwendolyn Ruffum
• Theresa Sanders
Antonio Scott
Keith Sherman
• Claudette Sherrer
S ephen Tait
Crystal Ti I
The rna Traytor
-BilieWafi
• Usa E. Wi Iiams
Michael Williams
Mildred Williams
Tony 'Abolridge
Tina Louise Wight I
• HO OR SruOENTS
M rth H rri -Harper and b r bu nd Cb rl
I· "an lave t nt In ur future."
. their homework. When I would
get depressed I would think
about the people who had faith
. in me. I could hear them saying
"Hang in there Martha, I know
you can do it." And somehow I
go the energy to make it one­
more-day.
Today is the day I have
waited for for a long, long time.
I want to thank my family for
their patience and encourage­
ment - especially my husband,
Charle. .
'. . e' crifi . a e'made
�e �y 'mtestment in Our ell-
ture. It is �ry significant that iD
thi first month of the New
Year, in the last decade of this
century that I h ve reached my
goal of a High School diploma.
I congratulate my fellow
classmates and I say to those of
you who come from a back­
ground of hardship and poverty
go ack to chool- tomorrow is
not promi ed to u .. Do it today!
Not for your mother or
fatherknot for your husband
and children-do it for your-
.lfl can-l know yo Can-
. I, you can!