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Like many young people, Curtis Ivory dropped out of Pittsburg High School in 1996 with the best of intentions. His girlfriend (now wife) was pregnant with their first child and it was up to him to get a job to support his growing family. He never dreamed it would be 16 years before he would walk across the stage at 91²Ö¿â to get his GED (General Equivalency Diploma).

?Life happened,? Ivory, a resident of Mount Pleasant, said. ?We had planned for my wife to finish school and then I would follow right behind her. One job led to another and another and school just wasn?t a priority for a long time.?

However, Ivory?s wife did not forget his promise to go back to school and reminded him of it in 2011.

?I had put her off for years saying that I would get my GED before our oldest son graduates from high school. Last year my wife reminded me that our son was going to be a freshman and that I was running out of time. It was time to keep my promise,? Ivory said.

Ivory?s job situation was looking uncertain and the timing was right for him to focus on his education. It was becoming increasingly harder to find work, so he decided to stop looking and enroll in classes. In early 2011, at the age of 33, he signed up for the GED program through the NTCC Adult Education Department.

?It was a little intimidating to walk in that classroom, but I hit it off with the instructors right away. They did everything they could to help me and I was surprised at how fast some of the material came back to me,? Ivory said.

In just a few months, Curtis had passed his GED test with flying colors and was ready to take his dream a step further by enrolling in college classes at NTCC.

?Curtis is a great example of a motivated student who figured out what his goals were and tackled them head on. He was a pleasure to have in our GED program and we look forward to seeing big things from him as he continues his college education,? Freda Duncan, Coordinator of the Mount Pleasant Adult Education Center, said.

In January 2012, Ivory enrolled in his first semester of college classes. He is pursuing a certificate in medical transcription and plans to keep going to finish his Associate?s degree.

Ivory has also become a role model for other students as he has presented his motivational story at GED recruitment day, spoke before the NTCC Board of Trustees and delivered the commencement address at the 2012 GED Graduation in May.

During the graduation ceremony, Ivory was inducted as a member of the National Adult Education Honor Society. He was also presented with the J. Travis Jackson memorial scholarship. This $500 award is given by the Mount Pleasant Rotary Club in memory of Jackson, who was a long time adult educator in Titus County.

?Coming up with the money for books and tuition isn?t easy. This scholarship will be a big help to me as I continue my classes at NTCC,? Ivory said.

Rather than take some time off, Curtis decided to take a class this summer. Since it is difficult to find a job that will work around his school schedule, he has decided to focus on his studies full time for now. Even though he says you are††"never too old to go back to school," Ivory admits that he wishes he had decided to come back to school sooner.

?Going back to school has changed my life. I am so glad that I took that first step,? Ivory said. ?To everyone out there who is thinking about going back to school, I say don?t procrastinate like I did. Life is too short.?