美国国家公共电台 NPR Goodwill Helps 43-Year-Old Finally Get Her High School Diploma

 

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Jobs can be hard to come by for Americans who did not finish high school. Their unemployment rate is almost double the national average. And so Goodwill¹, the nonprofit best known for its retail² stores, is now in its second year of offering adults who did not complete high school a shot at a diploma. And we have more from reporter Kate McGee in Austin.

KATE MCGEE, BYLINE³: Katina Johnson is sitting in a big, gray chair in her living room. She's on the phone making plans.

KATINA JOHNSON: You have all the stuff as far as making the centerpieces and stuff like that.

MCGEE: Johnson is planning her high school graduation party at 43 years old. She dropped out of middle school in the mid-1980s. That's when she found out she was pregnant. She never had a stable education. Her mother was a drug addict⁴ and moved her around a lot until she died when Johnson was 12.

JOHNSON: I thought I knew everything because I was pregnant. I'm grown. So that was the last time I even seen the inside of a school.

MCGEE: It didn't get easier for Johnson after that. She had three more children, but she lost custody⁵ of them. She was drinking and using drugs. At 27 years old, she became addicted⁶ to crack cocaine⁷. She went to prison twice. The second time, something changed.

JOHNSON: Like is this really what I want? Is this where I really want to spend the rest of my life?

MCGEE: Johnson got clean and stayed clean until she was released. She thought about getting her GED. One night, she was watching television and something caught her eye.

JOHNSON: Here comes Goodwill across the screen. And (laughter) it was so cute because it was on the news, and they were showing all these people walking the stage. And I was like, baby, baby - my husband - I was like, baby, baby, look, look, look. That could be me. And he's like, well, sign up. And I was like, I am, I am.

MCGEE: In 2014, Goodwill lobbied the Texas legislature to start a pilot program in Austin for 150 students aged⁸ 26 to 50. Texas law caps the high school enrollment⁹ age at 26. After that, you can only get your GED. The Goodwill Excel Center is the only option in Texas for older adults who want to get a diploma.

MATT WILLIAMS: There is a significant wage gap between those who have a GED and a high school diploma.

MCGEE: Matt Williams is the vice¹⁰ president of education at Goodwill Central Texas. The Excel Center isn't just focused on getting students better paying jobs. They want students to have a career. Life coaches, kind of like guidance counselors¹¹, develop a five-year plan with students.

WILLIAMS: To tie them to career training, have them go to ongoing¹² school, such as community college or a career certification program or a four-year college, which we're seeing a lot of our students do.

MCGEE: The school also offers free child care, transportation assistance and parenting classes. Some students just need a few credits so they get their diploma in a few months. For others, it takes a couple of years. The center makes sure every student who graduates can read and do basic math. For Johnson, the school offers something more.

JOHNSON: You know, as a child, I never had that encouragement. I never had that support, not even from my mom, you know what I mean?

MCGEE: When students graduate, a new life coach keeps tabs on them for two more years.

JOHNSON: So what is my total grade point average?

MCGEE: At Johnson's exit interview, she talks with her coaches about her final grades and her next step - community college.

JOHNSON: Oh, my eyes are watering just thinking about it. Oh, my God, I'm trying not to (laughter). I'm happy (laughter).

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: I'm happy for you.

JOHNSON: Just knowing where I come from, you know, it's like...

MCGEE: Johnson still has some work to do to get to community college. She doesn't qualify for financial aid, but it's too expensive for her to pay out of pocket. Right now, she's looking for a second job and wants to pay off current debts before taking out student loans. But with her new found sense of hope, Johnson is determined¹³ to become a college student. For NPR News, I'm Kate McGee in Austin.

(SOUNDBITE OF TRACEY CHATTAWAY'S "LIGHT THE NIGHT")

1 goodwill   

n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉

参考例句：

• His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
• We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。

2 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 addict   

v.使沉溺；使上瘾；n.沉溺于不良嗜好的人

参考例句：

• He became gambling addict,and lost all his possessions.他习染上了赌博，最终输掉了全部家产。
• He assisted a drug addict to escape from drug but failed firstly.一开始他帮助一个吸毒者戒毒但失败了。

5 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

6 addicted   

adj.沉溺于....的，对...上瘾的

参考例句：

• He was addicted to heroin at the age of 17.他17岁的时候对海洛因上了瘾。
• She's become addicted to love stories.她迷上了爱情小说。

7 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。

8 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

9 enrollment   

n.注册或登记的人数；登记

参考例句：

• You will be given a reading list at enrollment.注册时你会收到一份阅读书目。
• I just got the enrollment notice from Fudan University.我刚刚接到复旦大学的入学通知书。

10 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

11 counselors   

n.顾问( counselor的名词复数 )；律师；（使馆等的）参赞；（协助学生解决问题的）指导老师

参考例句：

• Counselors began an inquiry into industrial needs. 顾问们开始调查工业方面的需要。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We have experienced counselors available day and night. ) 这里有经验的法律顾问全天候值班。） 来自超越目标英语 第4册

12 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

13 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。