GREENFIELD — For Keiran Masson, getting a high school education had to take a back seat to caring for her sick mother.
But being unable to get her diploma then didn’t stop her from trying later. Masson was one of 20 students to earn their general equivalency diploma from Greenfield Community College this fall.
“I learned how motivated, determined and resilient I can be,” she said. “I set my mind on getting my (diploma) so I could get on with doing better things in life.”
The keynote address at a graduation Thursday was delivered by a familiar face for the students: Annette Kilminster, the Franklin Hampshire Career Center’s High School Equivalency instructor.
Kilminster recounted the tale of how she became a teacher — almost by accident — when she came to the United States from England with her husband for his new job, leaving her own career as a high school science teacher behind.
After moving to Kentucky, she resumed teaching, but this time as an adult education teacher. She fell in love with traveling the country roads of Kentucky and teaching adults to succeed.
“It was a detour on my journey that changed me forever,” she said.
For many of the students seated before her, obtaining their GEDs with Kilminster as their mentor represented the chance to emerge from their own detours that had derailed them from their education.
“It’s a day I’m sure you did not think you’d ever experience. I know you’ve all been through trying times to get here. You’ve experienced your share of success and failure, and experienced both the consequences of good and bad decisions,” Kilminster said. “Now, finally, you’re experiencing success.”
She lauded their courage in enrolling in the program and overcoming one of the most difficult obstacles after dropping out of school. But, she said, their hard work toward obtaining success hasn’t ended.
“It’s not the end of your journey, it’s just the beginning,” Kilminster told them. “You’ve earned your ticket to the future, now you have to get back on the train and continue your journey.”
You can reach Tom Relihan at: 413-772-0261, ext. 264
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