News - Local News

POSTED: Monday, Jun. 29, 2009

Decades later, 62-year-old woman earns high school diploma

Carol Heyser of Deming received her high school diploma at a commencement ceremony June 19.

Not so unusual, except that Heyser is a 62-year-old grandmother and the ceremony was at Whatcom Community College.

More than 40 years after she dropped out of high school - years filled with children, jobs, a marriage, a divorce, and a second marriage - Heyser can now check "yes" on paperwork that asks if she's a high school graduate.

"I always felt stupid, I felt like I couldn't accomplish anything," she said. "I got a lot of satisfaction walking down, and wearing that cap and gown."

People generally have three ways to earn their diploma after leaving high school. They can get a General Educational Development certificate by passing five subject-matter tests. They can take classes online.

Or, like Heyser, they can enroll in a "high school completion" program and take classes at a community college to satisfy their diploma requirements.

That option is ending soon at Whatcom. In a budget move, the program will end after winter quarter 2010, said Patricia Onion, vice president for educational services.

The program helps people ease back into the world of school, especially if they plan to pursue a college degree, Onion said. However, only about three dozen students are in the program at any one time, and they pay a reduced rate of tuition, so the program is one victim of a $1.5 million cutback in state funding, Onion said.

However, under a new state law, students who earn an Associate's Degree at a community or technical college will receive their high school diploma at the same time, if they don't already have one.

In Heyser's case, she took a class here and a class there over the decades, squeezing them in when family life and money allowed.

"Life takes over," is how she put it.

She decided to make a final push a few years ago when she couldn't even apply for a menial job because she hadn't finished high school.

Heyser's classes at Whatcom - such as history, political science and writing - exposed her to the enjoyment of taking challenging subjects from capable teachers on a campus full of interesting people.

"I loved learning," she said.

Heyser dropped out of high school in Burien when she was a sophomore, and soon married. She had three sons and two daughters before divorcing in 1980. Along the way she worked in grocery and department stores, a pharmacy, at Boeing and for a phone-answering service. She also sold Tupperware, Avon and Watkins products.

"I'm not special that way," she said. "I did what needed to get done."

She married John Heyser in 1981. They have two children of their own, and they adopted a grandson. Between them they have eight grandchildren.

Eight family members showed up to watch Heyser accept her diploma.

"They were a little rowdy at the graduation, I must say," she said.

A licensed caregiver, Heyser plans to get her associate of arts degree at Whatcom, and to take classes at Western Washington University. Her future remains open, more open than before, thanks to her determination to get her diploma.

"It's so empowering," she said. "It changes lives."