A former graduate’s story inspired Adrianna Hillard to attend the Pittsfield Adult Learning Center. A year later, she’s the graduation speaker | Central Berkshires

PITTSFIELD — Adrianna Hillard knows the power a story can have: It was the story of another Pittsfield teenager that inspired her to fight for her education.

And on Tuesday evening, Hillard, 16, shared her own story with her classmates and their families as a speaker at the William Stickney Pittsfield Adult Learning Center graduation. She enrolled at the center last year after reading the story of 2023 graduate Evonne Barnett, which inspired her to pursue her education on her own terms.

“After being stuck in what I was stuck in, I had no hope of ever making it past the age of 15,” she said. “To come here and be accepted like they’ve known me for years…and to have gone through what I never thought I could overcome means everything to me.”

Hillard was one of 57 students who received their diplomas Tuesday in a ceremony at the center located at 141 North St. in Pittsfield. Part of Pittsfield Public Schools, the center offers students the opportunity to pursue their High School Equivalency Test, or HiSET, diploma in an alternative setting.

In Hillard’s case, it was virtually impossible to go to school for most of his life. Her parents struggled with addiction, she said, and her life had “no structure.” By kindergarten, Hillard was “more out of school than she was in school.”

She dropped out of school in seventh grade and took online classes in eighth grade during the pandemic. She attended orientation classes at Taconic High School, then never returned. She tried to ask for help, but had difficulty finding people who could help her.

Her grandparents “rescued her whenever they could” over the years, and she eventually “sneaked out in the middle of the night” to live with them about a year ago.

That’s when Hillard read Barnett’s story in The Eagle about his graduation last year. Barnett struggled with anxiety, depression and borderline personality disorder, which made the traditional learning environment untenable, but thrived at the center.

She graduated last year and plans to continue her education at Berkshire Community College.

“It kind of took my breath away to see that she did it with everything she had to overcome,” Hillard said.

Hillard followed in Barnett’s footsteps just a year later at Taconic High School, where she shared her accomplishments with her fellow graduates.

In the past, Hillard has been nervous about sharing her story, but she wants to send a message to people in similar circumstances.

“There are more people like you than you think,” she said, “and you can always get by if you really want to.”

Hillard plans to go to trade school, probably to enter the auto industry.

PRESSURE RELEASE

The center helped Everett Collins, who struggled to find the motivation to go to class during his junior year at Wahconah Regional High School in Dalton.

Collins visited the center after retiring from Wahconah, realizing his days were blending together and he needed something to do. He continued his education while working at Teo’s Hot Dogs and Target.

The alternative format and support from staff helped him immensely, he said.

“Having time off, on your own schedule, it really helps relieve a lot of pressure,” Collins said.

For Hanna Fulton, 32, Tuesday’s ceremony was the first graduation she had ever experienced. Fulton grew up in southwest Florida, where she was homeschooled. Her education did not meet Massachusetts state requirements, and she needed a high school diploma to continue advancing in her career as an ophthalmology assistant.

This led her to the adult learning center in February 2023.

Fulton knew there would be growing pains with the process, especially learning math, which has never been his strong suit.

“I knew there would be a lot of crying for me to start learning,” Fulton said. “And it turns out they were more than ready for it… it was really nice to be in a safe place where I could get that part out before moving forward.”

The path to HiSET has not been easy for Fulton. Two weeks after orientation, she was hit by a drunk driver, wrecking her car and injuring her. She would not have been able to attend classes without the help of a colleague, who drove her to the center each afternoon from Great Barrington.

She also faced several delays while trying to take the five-part HiSET exams, including canceled dates due to construction, illness and internet outages. Even his final exam – a math test – was delayed by 15 minutes due to technical difficulties.

But she succeeded, scoring 19 points out of a possible 20.

For Fulton, the mother of a 6-year-old son, graduation was the perfect opportunity to reflect on her achievement.

“I had just become a mom again: cleaning the house, vacuuming, going to work the next day,” she said. “We didn’t have time to stop and think about it…being able to do this is a good reason to stop.” »

‘YOU CAN DO ANYTHING’

Tamasia Wallace, 21, said earning her degree made her feel “powerful” after spending much of her life doubting herself.

Wallace said many of the missed opportunities in her life were due to her fear of speaking out: Growing up, she often felt like she couldn’t do things due to a lack of support at home. Wallace dropped out of high school about five years ago.

But last year, she moved to Pittsfield and heard about the center, where the staff gave her confidence.

“I just tried it,” Wallace said. “It didn’t hurt to try, because I had given up on myself at some point.”

After earning his HiSET, Wallace plans to pursue a career in the automotive industry.

Wallace said she wants to be a positive example to her six younger siblings and children – she is currently seven months pregnant – to tell them they can do anything they put their mind to.

“I have to be the one to show them, ‘Look, you can do anything,’” Wallace said. “There are so many possible consequences in your life, don’t let your situation influence you. You can change your situation. Everything is temporary; Nothing is forever.”