Student's attitude helps him win tough battles
By LaJuan Tallo| 6/9/09

Chris Rogers was only able to make it to 10th grade at Olive Branch High School before he had to drop out. Born with spina bifida, a birth defect that involves the incomplete development of the spinal cord or its coverings, Rogers is unable to walk. His medical condition caused him to miss a good deal of school that year and he fell behind and had to drop out.

Chris Rogers of Southaven was one of 115 students to participate in Northwest Mississippi Community College's ABE/GED graduation exercises on June 1. Rogers had to drop out of high school his sophomore year due to medical reasons, but now plans to continue his education at Northwest where he will study Computer Programming Technology.
(Photo by LaJuan Tallo)

But Rogers did not let that stop him from continuing his education.  The spirited young man and his mother heard about the GED (General Education Development) program at AbilityWorks in Olive Branch. “My mom actually heard about it from the WIN Job Center and we checked out and decided it would be the best option for me,” Rogers said.

On June 1, Rogers was one of 115 students to participate in Northwest Mississippi Community College’s ABE/GED commencement. “The Northwest GED program allowed me to go at my own pace and that worked best for me,” Rogers said.

Bob Buckley, one of Rogers’ teachers talked about Rogers’ attitude. 

“He would come to class ready to work. He had two other jobs, but he still came and put in quality time. That is why he got his GED,” Buckley said. Rogers was grateful to Buckley and Carrie Bradley, his other teacher.

“Mrs. Bradley helped me so much. She helped me understand and remember stuff I had studied, but that I couldn’t remember. She also helped me learn the things I did not know because I never got that far in school,” Rogers said.

Rogers was the recipient of one of the Howard Carpenter GED Scholarships, which are given to students in the Northwest District who have scored 500 or above on the GED test. Awards are for full- time fall entering freshmen at Northwest.

Rogers works at the Memphis Zoo and the Fed Ex Forum selling snow cones, ice cream and other vending items these days, but now he has other plans. “I plan on using the scholarship I got with my GED to go to Northwest and study Computer Programming Technology,”  Rogers said.

For more information on the GED program, contact Guy Purdy, director of Adult Basic Education, at 662-562-3401 or e-mail gpurdy@northwestms.edu .