On Feb. 6, Adult Basic Education’s graduation ceremony recognized 17 of the program’s 2014 GED graduates. ABE is a Community Education program of Moorhead Area Public Schools.

Two graduates shared their remarks at the commencement exercise. Ronald Melcher Jr. acknowledged that his graduation was 40 years in the making, and that while it took him a long time to finish, he didn’t quit and is proud of his accomplishment. Karlie Kemp tried public and online schools before starting at Adult Basic Education to prepare for her GED. She thanked the ABE teachers for their support and announced her plans to attend college in the fall.

Lauri Winterfeldt, Community Education director for Moorhead Area Public Schools, recognized the contributions of Marjo Lysne, GED coordinator, who is retiring after 29 at the helm of the GED program in Moorhead, and Bonnie Herman, Adult Basic Education program manager, who is retiring in August after ?? years.

Winterfeldt reminded the graduates that Lysne, Herman and many other people — including the clerical staff registering them for testing, the ABE instructors, and the graduates’ family members and friends — supported them on their paths to attaining their GEDs.

“The world is full of people who want to be part of your success,” Winterfeldt said, encouraging the graduates to look for those people in the next phase of their lives. “We all want to watch you succeed because when we help someone else, we feel more successful ourselves.”

Winterfeldt reminded the graduates that it is not a burden to ask for support.

“It’s not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of strength when you can share your accomplishments with others,” she said.

Graduate Ron Melcher Jr. speaks during Adult Basic Education’s GED graduation ceremony on Feb. 6.