Earning a high school diploma is a part of life that most people take for granted. You go to school for 13 years, walk across a stage and receive a document that says you have completed all the steps in the proper time frame necessary to continue to the next step in life.
However, that document is not always earned in 13 years. For some, it is many years later and with a certain amount of perseverance that they walk across the stage to receive their diploma.

On Thursday night 53 brave students who had made up their minds to become more productive citizens proudly received their General Educational Development (GED) certificates.
The term began with 67 students ranging in age from 16 to 88. Eight of the students continue to work toward their GED goal.
Family and friends filled the Bob Lee Kidd Civic Center to congratulate the accomplishments of the  Adult Education Class of 2009, each with their own story.
Among those graduating were Steven Sanders of Poteau and his niece, Casee Goodman of Monroe.
It was pure coincidence that the two were in the same class at the same time.
They had not discussed the idea of going back to school and were not aware until classes began.
"I had quit school in March 2008 because I was pregnant," Goodman said. "I realized I had to get my GED to get a good job so that I could take care of my baby boy."
Sanders said he had dropped out of high school several years ago for a job opportunity.
"I quit school for a job," he said. "But when the job ran out I realized that I had to go back to school in order to get another good job."
Adult Education Director Myrna Davis stated that an average of 300 students enroll in the adult education classes each year for a number of reasons ranging from improving their skills to get a job, to keep a job or to improve their English.
Awards were presented to several students. The Best Creative Writing Skills award went to Joseph Whitmore who gave a speech which summed up the entire adult education and GED process. Whitmore agreed to allow the Poteau Daily News print the speech and it accompanies this story.
The Best Attendance Award was presented to Kimberly Coleman; The award for Highest Score in a Subject Area was presented to Steven Sanders.
The Perseverance Award was presented to Christina Woodard who received a $1,350 tuition waiver to Kiamichi Technology Center so she may further her education.
Michael Lovett received the Carl Albert State College Scholarship amounting to $816 for 16 credit hours. He received the award for attaining the highest GED test score.
The graduates of the 2009 GED class were Amanda Allen, James Allen, Richard Baker, Mathew E. Billings, Brian Branam, M'Kayd Caldwell, Jeremy Clark, Ashley Cox, Jennifer Davis, Matthew Davis, Stephen Douglas, Roger Gwin, Nicholas Hayes, Jonathan Jones, Patsy Lerch, Kasey Lovell, David Morris, Beau Patton, Tamisha LaDawn Roberts, Maranda Rose, Steven Sanders, Michelle Shirley, Autumn Desiree' Turner, Misty Underwood, Toni Wann, Jarrod Winningham, Dayne Young, Lonnie Allen, Cheyenne Amidon, Sean Balzanna, Devin Bowles, Jessica Burnett, Matthew D. Christianson, Kimberly Coleman, Amanda Lee Cypert, Jonathan Bradley Davids, Tracy Davis, Robert Edwards, Wesley Harris, John Johnson, Brittany Knight, Darrell Lovell, Michael Lovett, Tracy Moya, Nigel Poullard, Casee Goodman, Wendy Sanchez, Louvena Sanders, Melissa Tobias, Melissa Underwood, Chris Van Meter, Joseph Whitmore and Christina Woodward.