Local Mom Beats Odds To Earn GED

SPRING HILL - Spring Hill resident Angela Rodriguez, 63, knows the importance of graduating from high school.

After spending a lifetime without a diploma on her résumé, she fought hard to find well-paying jobs. Rather than teaching her family to follow in her footsteps, she stressed the importance of education at home and raised two daughters who went on to college and successful careers.

And last Thursday evening, she finally earned her own diploma from Nature Coast Technical High School's Adult Education Center.

"It felt good, like I'd really accomplished something," she said. "My daughters said they were so proud of me."

A native of Trinidad, Rodriguez obtained a sixth-grade education and moved to the U.S. in her twenties. She soon got married and raised a family, working hard to put her children through college.

"Some parents think that if they don't have an education, its OK for their kids," she said. "That wasn't true for my husband and myself. We were two people who were for education."

Rodriguez decided to go back to school at Nature Coast in 2004.

"As I got older, I understood what a (solid) education is all about," she said. "I realize it's very important, and something I should have done years ago. You can't get anywhere without it."

However, her husband soon became ill and eventually lost his sight. Studying and preparing for the GED became difficult, but she never lost sight of her goal of earning that coveted piece of paper.

The week she was scheduled to take the test for the third time, her husband died. She called the GED test site from the hospital and explained why she couldn't be there.

Seven months later, she took the test and passed it with flying colors.

"I still hung in there," she said. "It wasn't easy."

Jackie Torres, literacy specialist for the HEART Literacy program, called Rodriguez a "true success story" of the adult education program.

"We have so many young people who want to leave school because they think the grass is greener, and here we have this woman who knew her whole life that she needed to do this for herself and her family," Torres said. "Even after her husband's death, she said, 'I have to do this,' and now she's going to school to further her education. She just really deserves this."

Rodriguez also received a $1,000 college scholarship from Brighthouse Networks to attend Pasco Hernando Community College, where she hopes to obtain her associate's degree.

She credited her daughters with giving her the encouragement she needed to continue.

"They're very high supporters of everything I do," she said.

One daughter is an assistant dean at PHCC while the other is executive director of an Orlando nursing company.

Next week, Rodriguez will travel to Naples to witness her oldest daughter graduating with a master's degree.

Rodriguez, who also works at PHCC, said she has no idea how far she'll go after obtaining her associate's degree.

"I just take it in steps," she said.