BJCC graduates 77 GED students Friday

Bill Johnson Correctional Center (BJCC) may be the only Department of Correction facility to allow family members inside the yard to attend a graduation ceremony, according to William Monday, who was the keynote speaker at the BJCC GED graduation exercise on Friday, July 7. The chapel at BJCC was filled to capacity with 77 graduates on one side, the faculty in the back, and family members and friends on the other side.

Site Supervisor Greg Lyon intoduced the faculty responsible for teaching the GED graduates: Connie Anton, LaNita Brewer, Sheila Contrady, Barbra Davis, Shirlene Oakes and Nancy Smith.

BJCC graduates more GED high school diplomas each year than all the public schools in Woods County. The Salutatorian Address was provided by Zachary Priebe.

During his speech to the crowd, Priebe said, "I'll be honest – when I signed up for this program, I didn't think I would make it. Somewhere along the way I realized, 'Maybe I can do this.' All my life, I just scraped by for fear of failure. I set low expectations for myself so I would not be disappointed in myself.

"When I was presented with this opportunity to get a high school diploma, I made the decision to do the absolute best I could. No more half-hearted attempts. This time, I set the bar high and decided to make a shot at it. It took some time and effort and a lot of patience from Mrs. Brewer. Standing in front of you all and giving this speech is a result of all that hard work. If I said I wasn't proud of myself and all of you guys, I would be lying. Despite our past, we're all looking forward to a brighter future."

Valedictorian Jose Villa came to the podium and said, "This is a special day for us who are graduating. I would like to begin by thanking Mrs. Brewer for all the support and guidance she showed me while I was in that class. I am honored to be the valedictorian of this class, and I never thought I would be able to get my high school diploma, much less be the highest in my class.

"I am very proud of this accomplishment and I know my family is, too. Finally, I would like to give congratulations to everyone who is graduating today. You have been successful and I hope you can continue on this path."

After the keynote address by William Monday, certificates were handed to each graduate as they walked by Warden Becky Guffy, Superintendent Dr. Jeana Ely and Monday. They next received the gift of a Bible from First Presbyterian Church of Alva.