City Program Assists Employee with meeting Education Goal

Joshua Henry’s smile is hard to ignore. It gets your attention before he ever says a word. He has plenty to smile about as he recently received his General Education Diploma (GED).
Henry said when he was in the 5th grade he dropped out of school to help his mother care for his special needs brother. He was home schooled until he turned 18 years old and began working to support the family without graduating.
Henry works at Animal Care Services as a Kennel Technician, and is responsible for making sure the City’s lost and abandoned dogs and cats have food and a clean, safe place to stay.

When Henry started with the City in 2014 as a temporary worker, he did not have a driver’s license or a high school diploma.
While working 40 hours a week, Henry was also learning how to drive and taking GED classes. In 2015, he received his driver’s license and was hired full-time, making him eligible for the City’s GED Training Program. The free test preparation course assists employees with passing the exam. The 21 year old worked hard to take the tests needed to pass. Even his co-workers helped tutor him through the math section, his toughest subject. He soon received word he graduated.
“When I opened the envelope with the exam results, I couldn’t believe it. My heart felt like a bunch of butterflies,” Henry said.
Amid all the excitement, Henry's biggest compliment came from his mother.
“My mom was most proud of me that I didn’t give up.”
Henry said life has taught him the importance of having food on the table and a roof over his head. He knows without an education his job opportunities are limited and that’s why his next goal is to attend in college.
Joshua Henry is the first employee to receive a GED through the City's training program.

The City’s GED Training Program provides employees with a free test preparation course to assist them with passing the exam. For more information visit http://
www.learningcc.org/tuition/#