by Mary (Lisa) Eason '96
I have the opportunity to speak at graduations on a fairly regular basis, and my message always highlights the importance of education. I tell the graduates that “education will lead you out of poverty and can give you the life you want for both you and your family.” I remind them that life is what you make of it, and education is the key. For some people, that might not mean much, but from where I came, it was a game changer!
I used to be ashamed of my past, but now I use it to hopefully inspire others to be all they can be and to show them that education is the stepping stone to success. There’s a saying, “You have to go through falling down in order to learn to walk.” That’s a great analogy, because everyone, as they strive to make it through life, is going to trip up a few times. I know, because I tripped up – or should I say dropped out - before I could ever responsibly understand the consequences of my actions.
I grew up poor in Knoxville, Tennessee, the oldest of five children and the product of divorced parents. Being a girl, I was taught to cook, clean and care for my younger siblings. Education just wasn’t that important in my family, so I dropped out of school in the ninth grade. I got married at the age of sixteen and started my own family. Out of necessity, I began working in the local sewing factory shortly thereafter. The money wasn’t good, the work was hard, and I was set for a one-way ticket to nowhere.
Ten years later, divorced and the mother of three, I was still working at that same sewing factory doing the same old job. I knew something had to change, so when a position as a sewing instructor became available, I decided to apply. I thought, “Finally a chance to move up and make something of myself.” But that thought didn’t last long because I discovered that the job required a high school diploma or GED, which I didn’t have.
That was the day that it finally hit me …. I was never going to be promoted because I was a high school dropout. And my hope for a better life for my children was never going to happen, either. I began to understand the importance of education. So, I took the first step and got my GED. And as life would have it, I didn’t get that job either. Instead, life led me here to Newnan, Georgia, but with my limited skills I could only qualify for another low-paying sewing job. It wasn’t long after arriving in Newnan that someone told me I was smart enough to go to college. I thought, why not? No women in my family had a college degree. I could be the first!
The journey to get into college wasn’t easy and I had numerous obstacles to overcome. Without the assistance of the staff of, back then, West Georgia College, I would have never succeeded. I took my first classes at the Newnan campus when it was housed in the Newnan High School. Then we moved to the current location in Shenandoah. There were many days that I didn’t have a sitter for my youngest child and was forced to either bring him with me or miss class. I was lucky that he was a very quiet child and my professors allowed me to bring him to class when there was no other option available.
Eventually I exhausted all of the classes I could take at the Newnan campus at night, and I needed to attend day classes in Carrollton. This forced me to work the third shift at the factory, working from 11 p.m. until 7 a.m. After shift change, I had an hour to run home, feed the kids, and then head to classes at West Georgia College. I was in class from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. After class, I went home, fed the kids dinner, studied a lot and slept a little. Then I got up and did it all over again. There were numerous times I thought about quitting college. Long studies, hard work, kids to care for and no sleep. It all just seemed too much for me to handle. But I had promised myself that I wasn’t going to drop out again, so I stuck it out.
Even though it took me six and a half years to complete, I eventually got my college degree in accounting. The internship I received while attending West Georgia College lead to a position as an auditor with the State of Georgia. My education enabled me to advance in state government, and 12 years later in February of 2008, I received one of the best surprises of my career. I was promoted to be the assistant commissioner of administration for the Technical College System of Georgia, the agency that not only oversees the state’s technical colleges but the state’s GED program as well.
Some would say that this is an ironic situation for me to be in. After all, I’m a GED recipient who now manages the half-billion dollar budget for the Technical College System of Georgia, including the state’s adult education and GED programs. That’s not too bad for the ninth-grade dropout whose future was once as a “bundle girl” pushing fabric carts around in a textile mill.
I found my success because I persevered. I changed how I dealt with what life had handed me. I always wanted something better, and my education, starting with the GED and then my degree at West Georgia College, was instrumental in my success. Today, I love what I do, and I am proud to say that I am once again involved with the UWG. I am currently on the Alumni Board and have also returned to the Newnan center, where I started, working on my master’s degree. If I’m lucky, I’ll get to take a class or two at the new Coweta locatation. And by the way, the child who had to attend class with me way back then is now a University of West Georgia graduate.
I can’t help but be curious as to where this level of education will take me next.
