Above, Vernis Ramsey, left, of Jackson discussed a mathematics question about percentages with instructor Teri Smothers.

Above, Ruth Moore studied fractions for a mathematics assignment in the Adult Basic Education program at the Cape Girardeau Area Vocational-Technical School.

For Carol Kimball, thoughts of getting a high school diploma were 45 years in her past. Now they're one month in the future.

On an impulse, Kimball decided to finally get a general equivalency diploma through the Adult Basic Education program offered through the Cape Girardeau Vocational-Technical School.

"I was coming home from the store one day, saw the school, circled around, stopped and came on in," Kimball said.

At first, though, Kimball was a bit leery of becoming a student again.

"I thought, 'Why? I'm going to be 60 years old.' My son said, 'Why not?'" she said.

Sandi Hendricks, coordinator of the adult basic education program, said stories like Kimball's are common. People, who for whatever reason didn't finish high school, decide to give getting their diploma another shot.

To pass the GED test, a person must demonstrate basic proficiency in five areas -- English, which includes an essay; science; social studies; reading comprehension; and mathematics, including both basic arithmetic and algebra and geometry.

"Algebra and writing the essay is what we seem to spend most of our time on," Hendricks said.

The testing, given at Southeast Missouri State University, takes eight hours.

Teachers in the ABE program tailor instruction to the individual, because each student has a different level of education and different skills.

"Not everyone is on the same page," Hendricks said.

Kimball, who has only been in the program for a couple of weeks, immediately scored high enough on a practice GED exam to pass the actual test. She is working to improve her score so she can qualify for a college scholarship at Southeast.

"It's like a great adventure, being 60 years old and going off to college," Kimball said. "That would be something nice."

When she dropped out of school at age 16, Kimball said it was common for people to leave school to go to work.

These days, many employers won't consider hiring someone without a high school diploma or its equivalent.

Finding a good job is what prompted Gayle Wright into the GED program after the closing of Thorngate's Chaffee plant left her out of work.

"I knew right then this was something I wanted to get done," Wright said.

Wright, 26, quit school when she was 16. She attempted to get her GED on her own in 1989 but missed passing the test by one point.

This time she enrolled in the ABE program to get help brushing up on her subjects.

"I could work at my own pace, and if I didn't understand something, then the teacher would stick with me until I got it," Wright said.

She started instruction for 20 hours a week in September and finished four months later, the average time people spend in the program. She passed the GED exam last month.

She is enrolling at Metro Business College to become a medical secretary.

"I know that when you don't have your GED, it holds you back a lot when you search for a job," Wright said.

Hendricks said two-thirds of GED recipients plan to continue their education.

"The goal isn't to get the GED," Hendricks said. "Getting the GED is the first step toward achieving the goal."

GED recipients are the largest segment of junior college freshmen.

While the program is geared for adults, Hendricks said it has success at helping teen-agers earn their GEDs as well. To enroll, students must be at least 16 and have officially dropped out of school.

"It's hard for teen-agers to fit into what we expect of them," Hendricks said, and "because we are a more relaxed atmosphere, they can have a hard time finding the internal discipline. But we stay on them really hard."

Amanda Noel, 17, quit school last year after becoming pregnant. She is determined to earn her diploma.

She is part of the Futures program, which provides her with financial assistance to help care for her child while she takes classes. She is required to spend at least 30 hours a week on classwork but usually puts in more.

"This is something I need to get through," Noel said. "Without having this I won't get anywhere."

Noel, who would have been a high school senior this year, will take the GED exam in April. If she passes, she will have earned her diploma before her graduating class does.

She plans to attend college and then medical school.

Hendricks said the instructors like to track graduates of the program.

"We take a lot of pride in their accomplishments and the small part we played," she said.