VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — In 2020, many students were forced to transition into a virtual learning environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some students struggled to adapt to remote learning and found themselves falling behind.
While balancing a full-time job and trying to attend classes, 18-year-old Kuade Gilliard found his education becoming too much to bear, causing him to fall behind a year.
Gilliard says he repeated the same work schedule day after day to help support his grandparents, who are his caregivers and legal guardians.
"It was, wake up, go to school. After school, I would go straight to work, and then I would get home at like 11 p.m. or 12 p.m., then go to sleep, wake up at 5 a.m., then go to school again," said Gilliard.
At the time, Gilliard was 17 years old and trying to help assist his grandparents.
The New Youth Vision Services organization recognized that many students, like Gilliard, were struggling to continue their education during the pandemic.
As a solution, they created "The Missing Student Project" initiative. The program gives students who have dropped out or fallen behind in classes the opportunity to obtain their GED.
Many of the students are within the foster care system, or in Gilliard's case, have endured various hardships throughout their life.
Since joining the program, Gilliard has seen a significant change in his educational journey.
Dr. Lydia Whittaker-Simmons, an instructor with the program, says she has also seen the changes in Gilliard's engagement during sessions.
"I've seen him take more initiative, to ask more questions and be more engaged in his process of learning," she said.
Gilliard's story serves as a reminder that your past doesn't determine your future. Now with the help of New Youth Vision Services, he is one step closer to obtaining his GED and starting his dream job in the military.
For more information on the "Missing Student Project" and New Youth Vision Services, visit their website.
