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Alyssa Machazek, 6 (right), and sister Lexie, 4, hug their mother, Tiffany Johnson, before the GED ceremony while her brother, Ryan Rush, waits outside Courtland High School.
Ryan Rush (left) gets a photo taken while sister Tiffany Johnson and stepmother Denise Rush wait. All three received GED certificates.
Tiffany (left), Ryan and Denise receive certificates from Betsy Mathias of Rappahannock Area Regional Adult Education during a ceremony |
After Ryan Rush received his GED certificate in the mail earlier this year, his stepmother and stepsister teased him.
"Whatever, Ryan," his stepmom, Denise Rush of Stafford County, recalled saying. "Smarty-pants."
His stepsister, Tiffany Johnson, 25, also from Stafford, chimed in: "That doesn't mean anything until we get ours."
On Thursday, all three received General Education Development certificates at the Rappahannock Area Regional Adult Education's recognition night.
The trio stood on stage as the announcer described their "unusual, remarkable and wonderful" accomplishment. The audience cheered.
Denise, 43, dropped out of high school in 1983 at age 16 because she said she spent more time socializing than studying.
"I was just thinking I was grown and had better things to do than school," she said.
Tiffany dropped out of Brooke Point High for similar reasons when she was 16. Ryan, 22, finished his senior year at North Stafford in 2005, but didn't pass all of his classes.
On Thursday, however, the family posed for pictures wearing caps and gowns.
"It's like a hurdle that's just always there," Denise said of not having a diploma. "And now it's gone."
Last year, the family abruptly stopped attending GED classes because they lost interest.
"It was half-hearted," Denise said.
They returned again this year and mother and daughter finished their last test--a math exam--May 6.
Ryan finished in March after taking the one, final test that separated him from a high school diploma. He completed the other GED tests two years ago.
"I didn't want them to be 40-something and not have GEDs," said Denise, who calls herself a domestic engineer. "So I decided we need to do this--all of us."
But it wasn't easy.
The three of them drove to class together twice a week.
One day, after leaving the house at 6 p.m., a grumpy Tiffany snapped at her mother, "I'm just doing this for you."
Denise replied, "Good, now get in the car."
After Thursday's ceremony, Tiffany thanked her mom for all the support.
"I needed a little kick in the butt," she said.
Tiffany has three young children and lives with her husband, John.
Ryan recently moved to Maryland from his stepmother's house.
Many of the family's relatives, including Denise's husband, mother and grandchildren, attended Thursday's ceremony at Courtland High School in Spotsylvania County.
Denise's mom, Dorothy Harman, traveled here from Milford, Del. Denise told her mother she didn't have to come.
"I've waited 20-something years for this," Harman said. "I'm coming."
The graduates aren't sure what they'll do next. Tiffany said she wants to further her education and become an agent for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Ryan is currently looking for work.
Denise says she's thankful her children now have opportunities she didn't have at their age.
"It's never too late," she said.
Jeff Branscome: 540/374-5402
Email: jbranscome@freelancestar.com
