RESERVE – Monique Shepherd was only a freshman in high school when she made the life-altering decision to drop out to help care for her older sister with Down Syndrome.
Her father had recently passed away, leaving her mother overwhelmed between work and caregiver responsibilities. While eager to support her family, Shepherd could never shake the lingering feelings of regret that came along with sacrificing her education.
More than a decade later, Shepherd is trying on a cap and gown with a smile, looking forward to finally clutching her fully accredited high school diploma during next week’s graduation ceremony at the Leroy D. Williams Memorial Library in Reserve. She’s the second to graduate from the Gale Presents: Excel Adult High School program offered through St. John the Baptist Parish Library, and the sky is the limit when it comes to her future.
Shepherd interviewed for the program in January of this year and dove right into her coursework. Whenever she found herself stuck, she drew strength from the encouraging words of her mother, Owanda Shepherd, and her boyfriend, Justin Green.
It was Green who first told her about the Excel program. He was working a security detail at the library when he spotted the Excel Adult High School flyer.
“I kept telling myself I shouldn’t have dropped out of school. I wanted to go back, but I just didn’t know how to get there,” Shepherd said. “When my boyfriend came across the flyer, he told me, ‘I think this is the one you should do. It’s online and you can do it while working. If you need any help, you’ve got your mom and your sisters, and you’ve got me.’”
Shepherd considered what doors a high school diploma could open for her future.¹
“I was really pushing myself to do it because, besides getting my diploma, I’ve always wanted to go into the medical field,” she said. “I love to help people; it’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was a little kid.”
Now that she’s completed high school, Shepherd plans to enroll in a licensed practical nursing program. She encourages others to be proactive in pursuing their dreams.
“Whatever you want to do in life, just go ahead with it,” Shepherd said. “I knew it was the right thing to do. I felt bad about myself for not finishing high school, and I wanted to show my mom and my boyfriend that I don’t want to limit my future.”
Raquel Parks, one of the coordinators of the Excel Adult High School program at St. John the Baptist Parish Library, said it has been a pleasure watching Shepherd flourish.
“She was very driven to complete her education,” Parks said. “She told us a lot about her personal life and how it hindered her from completing high school. She was a strong person to give up so much to help her family. I had faith from the beginning that she was going to push through. She was very persistent and committed, and that’s something I admire about her.”
¹Students who do not have access to a computer or tablet with Internet service are invited to utilize technology at any St. John the Baptist Parish Library branch to complete coursework. Academic and success coaches are available to answer questions, and an AI-powered tutor known as BRYTE provides 24/7 on-demand support.
Excel Adult High School is a self-paced online high school completion program offered at no cost to eligible students who wish to enter the workforce, further their education, or attend college. Unlike GED programs, Excel High School offers a fully accredited high school diploma recognized by academic institutions across the country.
Interested individuals can begin the application process by visiting https://www.excelhighschool.org/library/stjohn. For more information, email [email protected].
The Excel Adult High School program can be completed in up to 24 months, and students who have previously passed any part of the GED, HiSET, or TASC may be eligible for transfer credits. St. John the Baptist Parish Library has scholarships available to eligible students who reside within the parish, are willing to obtain a library card, and have successfully completed the eighth grade.