“That Piece of Paper”

No one seems more surprised at what a single piece of paper can do for you than Cory Willingham.

Had he known what life would be like, the constant struggle to find and keep a job that did not require a high school diploma, he might have done things differently. Twenty years ago, Cory dropped out of Highland Park High School in Topeka, Kansas. He says he fell in with the “wrong crowd” and that once his father got sick, he had to get a job to help out. Cory says it went downhill from there.

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The years passed by and he watched his siblings and former classmates finish school and prosper. Cory got his electrician’s license, but that only required a test – not a diploma. He scratched out a living doing electrical and janitorial work while his wife, who had her high school diploma, earned a steady living. His two daughters grew into teenagers. The bills piled up.

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Almost two years ago, his mother called and said it was time to go back to school. They found the New Directions Learning Academy where adults can go and earn their high school diploma. The program is sponsored by the State of Kansas and the school the student would have graduated from issues the diploma. It is not a General Equivalency Diploma (G.E.D.), which can be earned by taking a test. Cory wanted to show future employers, and himself, that he had what it takes to see something through to the end. He didn’t just want to take a test; he wanted that piece of paper.

Cory took classes on the computer and studied hours each day to earn the credits he needed to complete the high school education he left behind. He paid a one-time $20 enrollment fee, which New Directions believes gives students an incentive to stick with the program.

Going back to school while trying to work was a struggle, but one that is already paying off. Two days after graduating in May, Cory got a job with the City of Topeka. He’s started college so that he can eventually get part-time work in the medical field. He knows that education is key to a better life for him and his family.

Here’s his story, Cory Willingham – Class of 2009.

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