Mckinley community school for adults

GED Grad Returns to Recruit at MCSA

     According to “The High Cost of High School Dropouts:  What the Nation Pays for Inadequate High Schools”, the average annual income for a high school dropout in 2005 was $17,299, compared to $26,933 for a high school graduate.  By enabling high school dropouts to complete their GED and earn their high school diplomas, MCSA is tangibly impacting lives.

     Private First Class Segawa, a MCSA GED graduate, attests to the impact on his life by the completion of his GED. 

     John Segawa, a self-described “troubled young man”, dropped out of high school in 2006 and took a job as a courtesy clerk at a local store.  He soon discovered that minimum wage, which seemed like a lot of money at first, didn’t stretch that far.  He needed to earn a high school diploma to get a better paying job. John enrolled in Anh Starr’s GED class at MCSA.

       During the semester, a U.S. Army National Guard recruiter visited the class and encouraged

students to enlist in the U.S. Army National Guard after graduation.  John began to think of enlisting. 

     Focused and ready to work at MCSA, John earned his GED and enrolled at  HCC ( Honolulu Community College) in 2007.

     In 2008, the same recruiter visited HCC.  This time John was interested enough to take the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery).  He scored well and received his first choice of MOS (Military Occupational Specialty).

     Now PFC Segawa, John graduated from Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina and U.S. Army Intelligence School at Camp Huachuca in Arizona in 2009  He volunteered to become a U.S. Army National Guard recruiter, visiting MCSA to “help other kids who are in the same place” he was a few years ago.  He plans to attend college in Hawaii in January 2010,  and eventually hopes to get a degree in Criminal Justice.

   

 

Private First Class Segawa volunteers to visit  GED programs to provide recruiter assistance to the U.S. Army National Guard. 

Second Waiver Day Focuses on School Improvement

     MCSA’s Second Waiver Day, held on September 17, 2009, focused on school improvement. 

     Staff and teachers met in Home Groups to examine eight ways to improve curriculum and instruction at MCSA and to offer recommendations to strengthen these areas.  Topics discussed

included the ABE program, the standards-based curriculum, computer technology, professional development, the GED program,  student transition, inclusiveness, partnerships, and participation in the Focus on Learning process.     

Right:  Participants “carousel” to add their group’s recommendations.