West Georgia Technical College Adult Education Program Celebrates 2026 GED and ESL Graduates
Waco, GA – West Georgia Technical College’s (WGTC) Adult Education program celebrated the achievements of its graduates during a commencement ceremony on Wednesday, July 29 at the Murphy Campus Conference Center in Waco.
Ninety-one students crossed the stage on Wednesday after either earning their GED®/HiSET diploma or completing the English as a Second Language (ESL) program. Family, friends and supporters packed the conference center to honor the graduates and their accomplishments.
Rebecca Wheeler, Dean of Adult Education at WGTC, congratulated the graduates and encouraged them to celebrate how far they had come.
“Graduates, you have faced many challenges,” said Rebecca Wheeler, Dean of Adult Education at WGTC. “You worked hard to overcome them, and now you’ve achieved something absolutely amazing.”
2025 WGTC GED graduate and current professional wrestler Andrew Duckworth was the first guest speaker, sharing a message of perseverance and dedication that drew an emotional response from many in attendance.
“Look down at what you’re wearing,” Duckworth said. “That cap and gown you’ve got on, that didn’t come easy. That came with late nights, early mornings, moments of frustration, and the stubborn decision to show back up anyway. And now you are here. You made it.”
Keynote speaker Dean Alford shared his own journey of resilience and redemption. After spending four years incarcerated at the Coweta County Correctional Institution, Alford was released within the past year. While incarcerated, he helped establish an inmate-led GED program, creating education opportunities for fellow inmates.
“Somewhere in this process, you made up your mind that you were going to get your GED,” Alford said. “It is a powerful thing when we make up our minds to do something. Your future will be what you desire it to be because of the hard work you put in.”
One of the ceremony’s most memorable moments came when 91-year-old Helen Woodyard crossed the stage to receive her GED, becoming the oldest person in Georgia in the past decade to earn the credential. Woodyard began Adult Education classes on her 88th birthday after watching her four children earn their own degrees and deciding she wanted a diploma of her own.
“I never finished so I always regretted not getting my diploma. My four children finished, and I always wanted to do what they did,” Woodyard said. “I kept going because I don’t quit anything that I start. The Lord started a work in me, and I was willing to spend all the time I had left before I died to finish.”
The audience gave Woodyard a standing ovation as she crossed the stage to receive her diploma. Before presenting it to her, WGTC President Dr. Julie Post read a framed letter from the mayor of LaGrange congratulating Woodyard on her achievement.
The Adult Education program provides free instruction to help adults earn a high school equivalency diploma, improve English language skills and prepare for college or the workforce. Through these programs, WGTC continues to help students build brighter futures for themselves, their families, and their communities.
For more information about the Adult Education program, including information about free classes and registration dates, visit www.westgatech.edu/adult-education.
