December 17, 2013, City Limits
With more rigorous standards for the high-school equivalency diplomas set to arrive in 2014—and get harder after that—people are racing to prep for and take the test now.
Doug Saunders and his sister, Shatoya, never finished high school. Shuffled between group homes and guardians in New York City and other states—Shatoya went to 13 different schools before dropping out in 11th grade—both left school to start earning money.
Now, they’re looking at high-school equivalency diplomas from opposite ends. Doug, 23, passed his GED exam in July. “When I found out I got it, the feeling was unbelievable,” recalled Doug. “The door was wide open.” From here, he plans to get a business degree, becoming the first college graduate in his family.
But the high-school equivalency test is about to get much harder, prompting a rush for Shatoya, and others, to take it before the standards change.
Julia Harte 