Kirk Bey had a promise to keep. “Years ago, before my mom passed away, I promised her I’d get my high school diploma no matter how long it took,” Kirk said.
Kirk had tried getting his GED but was never able to finish these programs because they did not fit his work schedule or provided little support.
Kirk had been working with the Library READ/San Diego adult literacy program and a librarian in this program convinced Kirk to give the Library’s Career Online High School (COHS) a try. “She believed I could do it. She talked me into it.“
In 2018, Kirk finally delivered on that promise to his mother and earned his high school diploma through COHS.
“I feel more confident now. It took me 38 years, but I did it!”
“It was hard, but eventually I started liking the courses. I liked learning new things that I never learned in high school. Algebra was my biggest challenge,” said Kirk. “You have to give up a lot. It took long hours. I had health problems and I was working. It took all my free time to study. I was lucky to have a great tutor like Ken. He explained things to me in a way I could understand.”
Kirk plans to go on to be a supervisor in food handling. He notes, “I feel more confident now. It took me 38 years, but I did it! My mom is probably smiling down on me right now. I’m blessed that I had this opportunity.”
