Last Wednesday, 49 graduates from the Unlimited Learning Center received their General Educational Development diplomas at the Cortez Conference Center. Ann Miller from the Unlimited Learning Center said the graduates were from Dove Creek and Towoac as well as Cortez and around Montezuma County.
Graduates, who took courses at Dove Creek and Towaoc, did so at the centers satellite sites.
About 180 friends and family members of the graduates were on hand Wednesday night to congratulate them.
Miller said there were some graduates who came into the Unlimited Learning Center to pick up resources, so they could finish their GEDs at home.
Miller said the commencement ceremony is something that the Unlimited Learning Center does every year in the middle of June.
Miller said the 49 graduates is about the same number as in previous years.
There are five tests that required 7.5 hours to complete that students must take and pass in order to graduate, and the tests will be changing in 2014.
Miller said students who do not finish all the tests next year will lose all the tests they have completed at the beginning of the 2014 school year when the new tests come in, and essentially will have to start over from the very beginning.
Miller said the center is trying to get the word out to its students, which she thinks will result in more students completing the requirements prior to 2014.
Miller said the commencement speaker at the graduation was Heather Young from Utah State University at the Blanding campus.
Miller said as soon as students graduate with a GED they can go straight to college and the center will be offering 75 college courses next fall either online, on site or through interactive video.
She said the center focus is not only on training for college, but college classes and majors that can lead to a good career and mentioned the medical field since growth in this area is increasing.
For more information or to register, Miller recommends people either walk into the center at 640 E. Second St. or call 565-1601.
Reach Michael Maresh at michaelm@cortezjournal.com