Groves Adult High School holds graduation ceremony
James H. Groves Adult High School, Sussex Center, graduated 30 students at its 49th annual commencement on Aug. 14 in the Sussex Tech gymnasium. Sussex Technical School District is one of the six out of 19 school districts in the state that supports adult education. Tyra Evans, Barbara Hodge and William R. Krouse II gave the graduation speeches.
Tyra Evans of Seaford confessed that she enrolled at Groves three times before completing the course. “Tonight we are celebrating overcoming obstacles,” she told her classmates. “I set a goal to have my high school diploma by the time I was 35 years old … Tonight I stand before you at 30 years old. I have earned my high school diploma.”
The second student speaker is a mother of three, her youngest child being only 3 months old. Barbara Hodge of Ocean View told her classmates that they can show others that it’s not too late [to earn a high school diploma]. “So go on and live your dream knowing that you’ve come this far, and the future is yours,” she said.
William Krouse II of Milton admitted to everyone that the only reason he went to school was so he could play football. As a junior, he was one of the captains of his team. But Billy’s love was snatched away from him when he suffered his fourth concussion and doctors would not clear him to play football again. “I lost my motivation to even go to school, so I went to work instead to help my family,” Billy said. Billy’s journey in life eventually brought him to James H. Groves Adult High School. His new dream is to study physical education in college and return to football one day as a coach. Billy was surprised later in the evening when his former high school football coaches who had attended the ceremony presented him with his framed football jersey.
Helen Downing and Becky King were recipients of the Distinguished Staff Awards. Downing works at Groves’ Ellendale satellite site. She was honored for being the person “who gets the classroom ready for the day, organizes the evening’s agenda and greets the students with a welcoming smile.” King works at the main campus at Sussex Tech. Students say she helped them tremendously and “has gone above and beyond her responsibility as a teacher.”
Before conferring of diplomas, several scholarships were awarded as follows: Amanda Kelly of Georgetown received the OAASIS scholarship of $200; Barbara Hodge of Ocean View was awarded the Ethel Cook Memorial Scholarship of $400; two $1,000 scholarships were awarded by the Sussex Tech Adult Division to Justin Givens of Laurel and Tyra Evans of Seaford; the $500 Principal’s Scholarship went to William Krouse II of Milton; and Amanda Adkins of Laurel was the recipient of the $500 Reverend David Mulford Memorial Scholarship.
Congratulations to the 2013 Groves graduates: Amanda Adkins, Laurel; Patsy Bailey, Bridgeville; Michael Bennett, Millsboro; Kyle Bosley, Rehoboth; Taylor Conner, Millsboro; Donir Cotoc, Georgetown; Matthew Dickerson, Seaford; Tyra Evans, Seaford; Rosemary Gale, Ocean View; Justin Givens, Laurel; Sarah Gray, Seaford; John Hensley, Seaford; Barbara Hodge, Ocean View; Martin Hughes, Bridgeville; Kristin Husbands, Lincoln; Michael Johnson, Rehoboth Beach; Amanda Kelly Georgetown; William Krouse II, Milton; Brian Langton, Seaford; Danielle Lewis, Milford; Kyle Mashburn, Milford; Sanshurae McDonald, Seaford; Taylor Price, Laurel; Amanda Purdy, Lewes; Deline Reed, Milford; Samantha Reynolds, Ocean View; Amanda Scofield-Miller, Millsboro; Bruce Sedgwick, Delmar; Ashley Sisk, Laurel; and Zachary Vetra, Delmar.
