Friday, August 30, 2002

Fulfilling a dream to teach

College Park's S.L. Lewis Elementary School employee, Kenya Tucker is proving it's never too late to go back to school.

Tucker will soon graduate with an associate degree in education with honors thanks in part to the financial help of the Promise II Teacher Scholarship Program.

Last year, the Fulton County Board of Education encouraged paraprofessionals to attend college and eventually become certified teachers within Fulton County with the help of Promise II.

Promise II falls under the realm of the Georgia Student Finance Commission as does the more well-known Hope Scholarship program.

Those eligible must be currently employed in an educational setting, and upon completion of the program must agree to educational service in Georgia. The participants use the scholarship money for up to 45 quarter-hours of tuition expenses. Another interesting fact about the program is that students do not have to attend the Georgia public college of their choosing full time.

Tucker said she feels, "proud and fulfilled" to have completed her requirements of study at the Union City/Ft. McPherson distance-learning branch of Georgia Military College.

According to Mick Maguire, Assistant Director of Georgia Military College's Ft. McPherson Campus, a number of Promise II scholarship students at his location are residents from all over the metro Atlanta area.

Most students attending GMC are considered non-traditional in the sense that they work full time and or have families to take care of in addition to their college responsibilities. Tucker and Maguire hope more local students will take advantage of the Promise II Scholarship opportunities available.

Tucker will reach her goal of graduation on September 29. The actual ceremony will take place on the Georgia Military College's main campus in Milledgeville in January of 2003. She will celebrate her achievement with a weekend getaway with her husband and proclaims, "You're never to old to go back to school." She will begin attending West Georgia College and State University in January to complete her Bachelors of Education degree with the help of the 2nd Chance Hope Scholarship.

Those interested in the Promise II Teacher Scholarship program call 1-800-546-HOPE. For more information on attending the Union City Branch of Georgia Military College call (770) 306-6401.