APS Adult Education 2025 graduates and class representative, Saderious Smith. Photo credit: Simeon Kelley, APS ©
“You don’t become what you want, you become what you believe,” said Saderious Smith, Atlanta Public Schools (APS) Adult Education 2025 class representative, as he addressed his peers and fellow graduates during their commencement ceremony on May 14.
The quote by Oprah Winfrey reminded them that they were resilient, and after years away, they successfully returned to education while balancing the demands of work, family, and life.
What makes the APS Adult Education program unique is its vast service offerings for adult students at every stage of life.
“All you have to do is call or come by because everybody is a good fit for adult education,” APS Adult Education program administrator Dr. Monique Brown said. “We don’t only offer reading, writing, and arithmetic as my grandmother taught back in the 1950s, but we have a wholesome program that offers career services and exploration.”
The APS Adult Education program’s wraparound approach offers more than reading, writing, and math instruction. It supports students preparing for the GED and HiSET exams and offers access to food, housing, healthcare, and childcare assistance. Career services, including resume writing, interview coaching, and college counseling, are also available.
APS Adult Education class of 2025 graduate and EAGLE delegate, Storm White. Photo credits: Simeon Kelley and Allison M. Slocum, APS ©
These services were especially helpful to Storm White, 25, who enrolled in the program while searching for a job. After a nine-year hiatus from education, White knew it was time to transition to the next phase of his adult life and pursue a career. The program not only prepared White academically, but also covered his GED test fees and provided essential support.
“I can personally say that [the Adult Education Program] benefited me in a tremendous way,” White said. “I was very discouraged for a long time, especially being out of school for as long as I was. It also has shown me that I could figure out what majors I wanted to have and what college I wanted to choose.”
Throughout the program, White showed resilience and growth, championing the program and fully investing in the experience. His tenacity and hard work earned him the Exceptional Adult Georgian in Literacy Education (EAGLE) distinction, an honor reserved for students who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in statewide adult education classes.
White will attend Southern Crescent Technical College and plans to continue on to the Georgia Institute of Technology. Through his EAGLE delegate role, he will use his experience to advocate for policies that expand access to adult education with the mission to help make education more accessible and equitable for all.
APS Adult Education class of 2025 graduate, Robin Perkins. Photo credit: Allison M. Slocum, APS ©
For Robin Perkins, a mother of three boys, earning her GED was the result of persistence and determination. After completing two GED tests in 2018, she left the program. Seven years later, she came back, completed her final two exams, and was honored with leading her class in the turning of the tassel.
“It’s been a journey for me,” Perkins said. “I’m just grateful that I never gave up. 2025 is a new beginning, and I’m looking forward to the next steps in this journey.”
Perkins plans to attend Atlanta Technical College and cosmetology school.
This year’s program also marked a milestone for the district. A pilot group of 13 youth, ages 16 and 17, joined the program after facing challenges in traditional school settings. Eleven of them qualified to take the GED test, and six proudly crossed the stage as part of the Class of 2025.
As each graduate walked across the stage, tassels swinging and heads held high, they joined the ever-growing ranks of APS alumni. For many, the diploma was not the end, but the pathway to college, trade school, the workforce, or the military.
APS Superintendent Dr. Bryan Johnson congratulated the graduates on their determination and encouraged them to continue pursuing greatness.
“APS graduates have accomplished tremendous things, and you’re [now] a part of that, so be proud,” Dr. Johnson said.
For information about the APS Adult Education program, please visit https://www.atlantapublicschools.us/adulteducation.
Slideshow: APS Adult Education Class of 2025 Graduation Ceremony. Photo credits: Simeon Kelley and Allison M. Slocum, APS ©
