Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

County Adult Education graduates 67-year-old Curtis woman

A 67-year-old Curtis woman has successfully completed her GED through Gurdon's Adult Education Center and plans to use it to get a job to pay for family medication needs.

Betty Rairdon, 67, entered the General Education Diploma (GED) program here in February and successfully completed the test. She will go through graduation in Arkadelphia among eight other recipients from Gurdon on Tuesday, May 31, at the Family Enrichment Center, 301 North 23rd.

There will be 65 Clark County GED graduates going through the ceremony.

The local center has been supervised by Mary Kuhn for the past 15 years and is at 107 N. 3rd Street in Gurdon, where Rairdon still comes to take computer instruction.

Rairdon said, "I was raised in Dallas County at Roundhill but had to relocate because of clearcutting.

"Then I worked in a brake shoe plant for 10 years before they moved to Mexico."

Rairdon was an employee at Morse Automotive in Arkadelphia, and got laid off in October 2004, as the operation, except for the shipping department, was relocated.

"There were 55 of us to lose our jobs from August until December of 2004. I realized that getting the GED was necessary for me to have a chance at getting adequate employment. Retiring is not really an option because of monthly medicine expenses for my disabled husband."

She is married to John Rairdon, 55, who has had five hip surgeries. He was also a former Morse employee, but can no longer work.

"We cannot make it on Social Security benefits. Losing my job cut us out of health and prescription coverage," she said. "I also had a 401K plan."

Rairdon has applied at Scroll Technologies in Arkadelphia, since passing her GED. So far, she has not been called in, but has not given up hope.

"It is where I would like to work. But I will begin applying elsewhere too. I wish I had gotten my GED earlier so I might have been qualified for the hiring Scroll does in the very early spring," she said.

The Gurdon/Clark County Adult Education Center is open on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. and for night classes from 5-8 p.m. on Monday and Tuesdays.

Kuhn said the program's administrator is Sheri Rogers, located at the Arkadelphia office. She said Nelda Williams is in charge of the Amity GED center. Kuhn said Anita Malcum, of Okolona, is the special instructor at Gurdon, and she also teaches in Arkadelphia.

Kuhn said 16- and 17-year-olds must take the GED through a high school, utilize school counseling and work at least 20 hours a week toward completion, according to state law. But if you are 18 or over, you may come and complete a GED at your own pace.

Rairdon said one of her children, Leona Swayze, 44, of Diamond Head near Hot Springs, inspired her to go for the GED.

"Leona is a bank auditor. She became a bank manager for U.S. Bank, then was promoted to being an auditor for the state, and now she audits state auditors. The banks helped her get more education, and she now holds a bachelor's degree, but all she started with was a GED," Rairdon said.

She says about a dozen friends and well-wishers have told her they will attend her May 31 graduation.

Rairdon has five children, ranging in age from 28-50. They are: Linda, Alan, Larry, Leona and Carla.

She had four by a first marriage and Carla with John. She recently had a 30-year anniversary.

"There are just a lot of places you need a GED to get hired. You can go fast food without it, but that does not pay much," she said.

Kuhn said the Gurdon GED center offers classes in Spanish and English, as well as offering to teach the English language.

Rairdon is learning how to process her essays and poems from her basic computer classes.

"I had never even touched a computer before," she said. "It is interesting."

Kuhn said Rairdon has been an inspirational case of determination.

"She did well on both the English and math parts of her GED," she said. "Her scores are very encouraging."

Rairdon said the reading and essays were easier for her than math.

"I did well on things you could learn by reading," she said. "I never learned algebra."

Those needing more information about the Gurdon GED program should call: 353-4555.