Goodwill Helms Academy provides tuition-free GED completion to locals
The tune of Pomp and Circumstance filled the Camden County Boathouse on July 12 as graduates from Goodwill's Helms Academy celebrated the tuition-free completion of their GEDs.
Decked out in blue caps and gowns and surrounded by families, friends, teachers and mentors, 30 graduates turned their green tassels, signifying the completion of a chapter in their educational career, and perhaps the start of a new one.
Rowan University President and Goodwill Board of Trustees member Ali Houshmand offered the graduates a gift during his keynote speech: instant acceptance and not a penny spent for anyone looking to pursue their bachelor's degree at Rowan.
"We're completely speechless," Juli Lundberg, director or corporate communications for Goodwill Industries of Southern New Jersey and Philadelphia. The surprise offer from Houshmand had left graduates and their supporters with tears.
What is the Helms Academy?
To those like Lundberg, the Helms Academy is just one way that people can see their Goodwill donations give back to the community.
The Helms Academy provides a tuition-free opportunity for adults in the South Jersey and Philadelphia regions who had previously dropped out of high school to obtain their GEDs.
This includes flexible scheduling and online learning options to support adults who have left traditional secondary education and are unable to return.
Goodwill Industries of Southern New Jersey and Philadelphia President and CEO Mark Boyd expressed the nonprofit's commitment to "helping people realize their economic potential."
"I think that high school diploma is like that foundational, educational achievement that opens up all other doors," Boyd said.
There are eight locations across New Jersey and Pennsylvania that offer a plethora of services, from tutoring, to computer literacy, to up to 30 college credits.
"It started as just a job, but it became my passion to see my students succeeding at their diplomas but then follow[ing] their life path," said Patti Beach, an adult education instructor at Goodwill's Maple Shade Helms Academy.
"Everyday for me is memorable," Beach said, while being enveloped in a hug by excited graduate Luis Rojas Jr.
Celebrating success stories
Rojas Jr., a 26 year old from Trenton, was just one of those celebrated during Goodwill's Graduation in July.
"I've been out of school since I was 15," Rojas Jr. said. "Having the teachers...having the coordinators, having the mentors that I did support me, it was amazing. I feel on top of the world."
Not only did Rojas Jr. receive his certificate of completion and turn the tassel on his cap, but he also walked away with awards for the highest social studies and overall scores on the HiSET Examination.
"In a matter of months, it just took some dedication and the right support system, I was able to achieve what I deemed impossible at the beginning," Rojas Jr. said.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Goodwill celebrates graduation with tuition-free GED completions
