Rebecca Ward walks with confidence and purpose. She is at a point in her life where her job of helping others not only is a goal she has reached, it also allows her to provide for her family without a lot of worry.

Ward is a Mayland Community College GED graduate who developed the confidence to continue her education into the nursing field.

"I was a teenage bride and mother and wanted to better my life," said Ward. "When I came to Mayland to get my GED it was very important to me."

Ward said after a little studying she took the tests required to earn her GED and felt that they were easier than she had anticipated.

After earning her GED 13 years ago, Ward still remembers the faces of Basic Skills instructors who encouraged her a long the way.

"The staff at Mayland were great," said Ward. "They got me to thinking that I could go on to college."

After Ward earned her GED, she found herself as a single parent trying to provide  for her family. She worked her way through the Licensed Practical Nursing Program at Tennessee Technical College in Elizabethton, Tennessee, and is ready to finish out the Registered Nursing Program this summer.

"Surviving the nursing program made me feel like I can tackle anything now," said Ward. "It changed my life and grew my confidence."

Anyone who is interested in earning their GED or would like more information about Mayland's Basic Skills class can call 1-800-4-MAYLAND or 765-7351, ext. 291.