Illinois Valley man fills educational gap by earning GED
Dylan (left) Jesse (right)

Figuring that action speaks louder than words, Jesse Wimpee returned to the classroom last fall to earn a GED at Rogue Community College and show his 14-year-old son that education matters.

Wimpee had watched as Dylan, a freshman at Illinois Valley High School, grew discouraged with school, and he'd been reminded of his own frustrating educational experiences decades earlier when he fell behind, dropped out, and got a restaurant job. By 19 Wimpee was married and raising a child.

"Dylan had done well before, but high school seemed to be overwhelming. He kept saying he didn't like it. I'd always helped him with homework, but one night he had a language arts assignment I couldn't figure out," Wimpee recalled. A former oilrig driller now on medical disability, Wimpee is a licensed minister and involved with Soldiers for Jesus, a motorcycle ministry.

"I decided to go back and get my GED, and we'd try to do it together. I thought that it would be encouraging and show him it was important to stay in school and do his best." Wimpee, 53, signed up to prepare for the General Education Development exam at RCC's Illinois Valley Learning Center in Kerby. "I thought it would be just kids. But I saw there were other adults trying to do the same thing - just better their lives," he said.
"The center's atmosphere is comfortable and students are respectful of each other. Teachers genuinely care about people and make it easy to approach for help," he said. As in the past, math was the hardest obstacle for Wimpee, but math is Dylan's strongest subject, and he helped his dad with homework. Writing also was a challenge, Wimpee said. "I didn't have a clue what an essay was. The instructors showed me what my weaknesses were and how to approach them. They told me not to worry - it would make sense and fit together. I took them at their word, and it did."

He finished the GED preparation in nine weeks, took the exam and passed all five sections the first time. Dylan, who enjoys designing computer games, said it's "cool" that his dad fulfilled his goal. "Dylan told me he was proud of me," said Wimpee, smiling. He is now considering taking more RCC classes by utilizing the college's "buy one credit, get one free" tuition award, which is offered to recent GED completers and high school graduates. He's also encouraging his sister-in-law to attend RCC because she's been offered a good job if she completes the GED.

According to the 2000 census, almost 11 percent of Jackson County's population 25 and older doesn't have a GED or high school diploma; in Josephine County the number is slightly more than 14 percent. "Many of the students we work with have been traumatized by life or the educational system," said Sue Calkins, a longtime instructor at the RCC Illinois Valley Learning Center. "If they're here for the GED, something went wrong somewhere. They feel safe and respected here."

Nationally, high school dropouts are twice as likely as high school grads to be unemployed, 7.5 times more likely to be on public assistance programs, six times more likely to be an unwed parent and 3.5 times more likely to be arrested.

• GED widely accepted as high school completion
• RCC students may study until they feel proficient in a subject area before taking each section of the GED exam, which covers literature, science, social studies, math and writing.
• The fee to study for the test at RCC is $31 per term; the exam costs $90.
• Rogue offers GED preparation days and evenings, in English and Spanish, at convenient sites and provides options to accommodate different learning styles.
  
  For more information, call an RCC Adult Basic Education learning center near you:
  In Medford - 245-7701
  In the Illinois Valley - 956-7455 or 592-2103
  In Grants Pass - 956-7253
  
  
• Earning a GED can be a key to job advancement, further education, and self esteem.
• Many Oregon universities accept a GED as high school completion. The U.S. Army will accept a GED and will pay for students to study for and take the GED test.
• Adult Basic Education classes, offered day and evenings, also cover citizenship exam preparation, English as a second language, and basic skills improvement classes.
• Enrollment in these classes is open throughout the term; information is available at http://learn.roguecc.edu/developmental/dehome.html
• Students still enrolled in high school can make up credit in RCC's summer high school credit program. Information is at http://learn.roguecc.edu/developmental/HS.html.
  Call 245-7701 in Jackson County and 956-7253 in Josephine County.