Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, May 18, 1990 TAG: 9005180552
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MARGIE FISHER RICHMOND BUREAU
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
But they got their picture taken with him and received his commendation for going the extra mile - to get a high school diploma.
The governor's visitors included several teen-agers who had dropped out of school and are now enrolled in the Total Action Against Poverty high school equivalency teaching program.
They are Patriess Cooper, Sondra Cooper, Mary Barnett, Melissa Clements and Jonette Mayo, all of Roanoke.
The group also included three 17-year-olds from Lexington - Eric Manspile, Stacy Keifer and David Ayers - who are enrolled in TAP's "Project Pride."
That program identifies potential dropouts and offers them special help, including one-on-one counseling and more individual attention from teachers to encourage them to stay in school.
Others making the trip were:
Barbara Cruz, 19, of Roanoke, a high school dropout who received her high school equivalency diploma through TAP and is now studying nursing at Virginia Western Community College.
Jada Pickens of Roanoke who is taking part in the Project Discovery, a program that encourages and helps prepare minority students to attend college.
TAP staff members Annette Lewis, Mary Early and Pam Prather.
Wilder congratulated the young people for having the good judgment to have "grabbed again" the opportunity for education "that might have slipped through your fingers."
He told them the importance of an education is more than just job preparation. It's self-esteem.
by CNB