“Completing high school was always a dream of mine, but I never had the opportunity to do so,” says Cathy Pynn, a recent graduate of the Discovery Centre’s Adult Basic Education Program. For years, Cathy worked a hard minimum wage job and struggled greatly to make ends meet each month. She always longed to go back to school and complete her education.

Then, the unthinkable happened – Cathy’s husband passed away suddenly. In just a matter of moments, her life had changed drastically and forever. Unable to financially support herself, Cathy knew she needed to find a good paying job, and she knew the only way to accomplish that was to go back to school and earn her high school diploma.

Cathy’s next step was to visit The Discovery Centre – a school she was told she could depend upon: “When I walked through The Discovery Centre doors, I had three goals: I wanted my high school diploma, I wanted to graduate post-secondary, and I wanted to get my driver’s license.”

At first it was hard for Cathy to adjust to a new way of life at school. With the loss of her spouse, Cathy often felt like giving up, and waves of emotion bombarded her almost daily. Even though she was excited about starting her new journey, she feared she would not be able to accomplish the academic tasks necessary to secure her diploma. It wasn’t until she settled in at The Discovery Centre that she realized she could do it.

Cathy credits the centre’s supportive team for settling her fears and giving her the confidence she needed to finish high school: “I had no idea what to expect, but the instructors and staff were always available and very helpful. It didn’t matter if it was personal or school-related issues, they were there to help. They were all so amazing.”

With hard work and determination, Cathy met al three of her goals: she received her high school diploma, graduated from post-secondary, and received her driver’s license!

Cathy would like to give a little advice to anyone thinking about going back to school in their adult life: “It is never too late. If I can do it, so can you. If you’re ready to take that first step, The Discovery Centre is just a phone call away.”