Lucille Marie Osborne left high school at the age of 16 to have a baby, but she never gave up on her dream to graduate from high school.
She will be among nearly 90 graduates Sunday who will receive Maryland high school diplomas through programs operated by Howard Community College in Columbia.
“I?ve always wanted to go back to school, but because of financial reasons, I needed to get a job,” said the 56-year-old Montgomery County resident.
“I feel great. I was determined to get my high school diploma.”
After leaving high school, Osborne used her business math skills to get jobs in the accounting field, where she worked for more than 30 years.
Two years ago, she decided to pursue her goal of obtaining her high school diploma.
“I had raised my two children and helped raise my three stepchildren,” she said.
Osborne turned to HCC because Montgomery County Community College didn?t have a program that allowed her to use her life experiences to achieve her diploma.
HCC?s External Diploma Program allowed her to demonstrate how she had mastered math, reading and other skills through her various jobs, including being a homemaker.
“I do some sewing, and that involves measuring materials,” she said.
For two years, Osborne met weekly with an adviser who determined if she had mastered the skills necessary to receive her diploma.
“She has set a good example for others to follow,” said Becky Lessey, director of Basic Skills and Foreign Language Programs at the college.
Osborne will be one of several speakers at the graduation at 3 p.m. in the college?s Smith Theatre.
Her family said they are proud of how she overcame obstacles in her life, including caring for sick family members, to achieve her goal.
“It?s taken a lot of courage to do this after being away from it for so long,” said her son, Michael McKenna, 29, of Columbia.
“It?s something she?s wanted to do all her life, and I supported her in doing it,” said Ronnie Osborne, her husband.
Diploma program
Howard Community Colleges offers the General Educational Development Exam Preparation course and the External Diploma Program for people seeking their high school diplomas.
The prep course is designed to review the skills necessary to succeed on the GED test. All five subject areas ? writing skills, social studies, science, reading and math ? are covered in this twice-a-week course.
A Maryland high school diploma is awarded after clients demonstrate 65 specific life skills in problem solving, critical thinking, speaking, writing and computation.
? Tawanda W. Johnson
