Grace Outreach

Back at It!

Hello and Welcome Back!

Grace Outreach was off last week for Winter Recess (many of our students have children in the NYC public school system, so we generally follow their schedule). It was especially nice to come back yesterday to a slew of new graduates. Most of our students follow a pattern that goes something like this: once a woman's teacher decides she is ready to take the GED, we sign her up for one of the coveted GED testing seats (to learn more about why the seats are such a scarce commodity, click here).

The tests are either one day, two day, or three day affairs with a total of about 8 hours of testing. Once a student finishes taking the exam, the waiting game begins. Approximately 4-6 weeks after her test date, GED takers can log onto New York State's GED web site and see if they've passed. There are no scores, just the word 'Diploma', or no 'Diploma'. Often women come in to check at Grace Outreach, or call by phone to have us check. With some students, especially the ones who have been here longer, the teachers and Lisa are already checking and refreshing the page when the test taker calls. 

Of course, not every student passes on the first or even second attempt. But for the ones who do... oh boy. I've seen teachers whoop, scream, cry, laugh and everything in between when they see that little 'Diploma' on the screen. I've seen students do victory dances, fall to the floor and  breathe huge sighs of relief.

Success: it's not the whole reason we're here, but it most definitely has a sweet, sweet smell that keeps us coming back.