At 71, Upper Marlboro Woman Earns Diploma

Hyattsville (June 11, 2008) On a typical weekday afternoon, 71-year-old Frances Yancey-Olaifa would be in a classroom surrounded by pre-school and kindergarten students in an after-care program at Riverdale Baptist Church. This Thursday, however, the teacher's aide and great-grandmother will be celebrating her earning a high school diploma and preparing to walk across the stage at the Literacy Council of Prince George's County’s sixth annual graduation ceremony.

"This is something that I always wanted to do. I have children and grandchildren who have graduated and gone on to college, and I knew that I could do it too," said Yancy-Olaifa.

Ms. Frances, as she is affectionately called by both her students and teachers, left school over five decades ago as a young bride to begin working and building a family. In the 1960s, she became the first black woman to work as a file clerk for publisher Dow Jones & Company in Silver Spring. She went on to  work for Disabled American Veterans in Washington, D.C. for more than 20 years.

While Ms. Frances broke down many barriers throughout her lifetime, it was only upon retirement that she was able to focus again on completing her high school education.

"I felt so busy and just got caught up with raising my children and working. But once I retired, I knew this was something I had to do," said Ms. Frances.

Ms. Frances began working with teachers at the Literacy Council toward her high school diploma in 2003. A quick learner and dedicated student, Ms. Frances was recognized as Student of the Year in 2004 by the Maryland Association for Adult Community and Continuing Education. Two knee replacement surgeries would interrupt, but not halt, her education. Ms. Frances returned to classes at the Literacy Council in 2007 and passed the GED exam earlier this spring, earning her high school diploma.

On Thursday, she will walk across the stage with 25 other graduates at the Hyattsville Library. Like Ms. Frances, these adult learners worked with the Literacy Council to earn their high school diplomas by passing the GED exam or successfully completing the External Diploma Program, a self-paced, competency-based program that gives credit for demonstrated and rigorously-assessed life skills.

"Sometimes it happens just one word at a time, but the words accumulate and students of all ages reach their goals," said Gail Drake, Executive Director of the Literacy Council. "Each of the 100 Literacy Council graduates now holding a Maryland High School Diploma and every one of our adult learners have proven that it is never too late to learn or to earn a high school diploma.”

Overall, the Literacy Council works with more than 1,400 adults each year through its high school diploma programs, basic reading classes, English for Speakers of Other Languages and family literacy classes, in addition to one-on-one tutoring and computer-based instruction.

The Literacy Council of Prince George’s County, MD, is a nonprofit education community devoted to adult literacy and lifelong learning. Its programs strengthen the literacy skills necessary to gain personal, parental, and economic empowerment; civic responsibility; and technological proficiency.

The Council is the county’s primary non-profit organization for the advocacy and implementation of literacy programs. To learn more about the Literacy Council of Prince George’s County, visit www.literacycouncil.org. 
 

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