THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 12, 1994 TAG: 9406110113
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 26 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SUSIE STOUGHTON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940612 LENGTH: SUFFOLK
Shinabery proudly clutched the General Educational Development certificate she received in the May 26 ceremony.
{REST} The piece of paper, the adult learner's equivalent to a high school diploma, showed she had finally completed her school work, at an age twice that of a traditional graduate.
Shinabery, who lives in Windsor, was determined to finish school before her children. She beat her oldest son, Rob, by less than a month.
``I told him I was going to graduate from high school before him,'' Shinabery said. ``I wanted to do it before the kids did.''
She and her husband, Friday, have six children between them, ranging in age from 2 to 18.
Shinabery, who grew up in Norfolk, quit school after the 10th grade.
``I dropped out because I thought I knew everything,'' she said. ``I had other things to do besides go to school.''
When she decided to go back, her family pitched in to help with the younger children so she could attend classes two nights a week to prepare for the GED test.
``Without their help, I couldn't have done it,'' she said.
Now Shinabery hopes to take some nursing courses while continuing to care for her family.
She has encouraged her children to finish high school on time.
``I tell my kids, `Do it now. Don't wait until 18 years later,' '' she said.
Shinabery was one of 104 candidates to receive a GED certificate this spring through the adult education program sponsored by the Suffolk and Isle of Wight County schools.
Another graduate, Shirley B. Klages, 46, stood beside her daughter-in-law, April Klages, 19 - both of them in caps and gowns.
The two women, who live across the road from each other near Whaleyville, completed a three-month class at P.D. Pruden Vo-Tech Center together.
Shirley Klages, a homemaker, returned to the classroom mainly to support her daughter-in-law.
``I went to try to encourage her, really,'' Klages said.
But now that she has her diploma, the elder Klages hopes to take a nurse's aide course.
The younger Klages, who is expecting a second child in July, felt it was important to complete her education.
``I just went back because I thought it was the right thing,'' April Klages said.
Eventually, she hopes to take secretarial courses at Paul D. Camp Community College.
The GED graduates had numerous reasons for dropping out of high school and a variety of reasons for returning.
For many, it had been years since they were in school. Most took a preparation class before the final test.
But Marshall Goodwin Jr., 20, of Suffolk took the examination without any review.
He had completed the 11th grade at Lakeland High School, then trained for six months as a brick mason at the Job Corps, a Norfolk training center.
Still, he felt a diploma would help him get a better job and succeed in life, he said.
Some of the graduates did not attend the ceremony.
One of them, Regina Thornton, had to stay home with a sick child.
Thornton, who lives in Suffolk, made the highest score in the state this year, said V. Scott Weatherford, principal of adult education.
``I'm proud as punch of her,'' said Weatherford, who announced that Thornton would receive a plaque from the American Council on Education and the GED Testing Service.
She scored a 374 out of a possible 400, on the five-part GED test.
{KEYWORDS} CLASS OF 1994 GRADUATION
by CNB