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I never went to high school, but I passed the TASC exam and received my High School Equivalency diploma in 2017. In New York, there are programs offering a chance to acquire HSE credentials to someone who hasn’t been able to complete high school. That is, if you can pass all five tests, including reading, writing, social studies, science, and mathematics. The program I joined was founded by a 92-year-old man who had two teachers and a receptionist working with him. Approximately 30 students studied there.

The school rented the whole floor inside an office building located in downtown Staten Island. The building was surrounded by a library, Staten Island City Hall, and the Staten Island Ferry. Our floor had two offices, two classrooms, a restroom, and a computer room. Our classroom was just big enough for some desks and three big tables. One desk by the door had sign-in forms, pencils, blank papers, homework we had finished for our teacher to check, and a lot of GED and TASC books. Another desk at the front was for the teacher to put our teaching materials. The biggest desk, on the other side of the classroom, was neatly stacked with a lot of practice materials that were printed by Jack, one of the teachers. He always told the students who needed extra practice to take the materials, and he was always happy when we came to him with questions about them. We had another teacher, Rosie, and they were both passionate teachers. Rosie taught the lower level, and Jack taught the higher level. We were all lucky to have them with us because they were so kind and always trying their best to help us.

Jack was 82 years old, and he had been a teacher in a public high school for 30 years. The founder of the organization had invited him to go back to work together I never went to high school, but I passed the TASC exam and received my High School Equivalency diploma in 2017. In New York, there are programs offering a chance to acquire HSE credentials to someone who hasn’t been able to complete high school. That is, if you can pass all five tests, including reading, writing, social studies, science, and mathematics. The program I joined was founded by a 92-year-old man who had two teachers and a receptionist working with him. Approximately 30 students studied there. The school rented the whole floor inside an office building located in downtown Staten Island. The building was surrounded by a library, Staten Island City Hall, and the Staten Island Ferry. Our floor had two offices, two classrooms, a restroom, and a computer room. Our classroom was just big enough for some desks and three big tables. One desk by the door had sign-in forms, pencils, blank papers, homework we had finished for our teacher to check, and a lot of GED and TASC books. Another desk at the front was for the teacher to put our teaching materials. The biggest desk, on the other side of the classroom, was neatly stacked with a lot of practice materials that were printed by Jack, one of the teachers. He always told the students who needed extra practice to take the materials, and he was always happy when we came to him with questions about them. We had another teacher, Rosie, and they were both passionate teachers. Rosie taught the lower level, and Jack taught the higher level. We were all lucky to have them with us because they were so kind and always trying their best to help us. Jack was 82 years old, and he had been a teacher in a public high school for 30 years. The founder of the organization had invited him to go back to work together again after they had both retired. Their passion was really inspiring to me. They always came early to the classroom. Our class was from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., but Jack never sat down; he walked around the classroom to hand out the work to the students and to check if we had any questions. He coughed all the time.

Sometimes, I would remind him to drink some water. I thought he worked as busily as a bee and never stopped caring about our education. There were some articles cut from newspapers, framed and pinned up by the blackboard. We read the articles with Jack, and they were about how there were many immigrants who studied hard and got good jobs in America after successfully graduating from college. He always encouraged us to go to college. Sometimes, in the classroom, he would tell the class that, someday, I would work on Wall Street. I thought that would be a big challenge for me because I didn’t even think I could pass the TASC exam. I had never thought about college, but I studied hard because I didn’t want to let such nice people down. I passed all the tests in one year, and then went back to work in a restaurant again. But Jack never gave up on me. He really wanted to send me to college. He asked one of my friends who was still in his classroom if I went to college, and when he learned I was working in a restaurant, he told my friend to tell me to go see him. He insisted on helping me apply for financial aid in order to go to college.

Now here I am; continuing and finishing college is my goal, but not because I want to work on Wall Street like I thought. I want to be like Jack, someone who contributes value to the whole society.
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Guizhen Chen was born in Fujian, China. She arrived in the U.S. in 2003, and she lives on Staten Island. Guizhen Chen speaks Mandarin and English and likes reading. She attends the CUNY Language Immersion Program at the College of Staten Island. Dorian Kulla is her writing teacher, and Blerina Likollari is the program’s director.