Since I was a little girl, I’ve always pictured my future. I was constantly planning ahead. I planned everything out perfectly. I knew exactly what I wanted to do and what I wanted to be. I wanted to learn from my mother’s mistakes and make the right choices. It seemed that education was the best way to make my dreams come true.

My mother quit school in the 9^th grade. I just wanted to make her proud and graduate from high school. High school was harder than I thought. My biggest challenge was getting up in the morning. I am not a morning person. My mother also needed me to help bring my brother to school. So I had a lot of absences. Eventually they kicked me out of school.

After that, most people just quit trying, but I am not letting that stop me. I am determined to make at least one of my dreams come true. I will get an education. I will succeed no matter how long it takes. My biggest fear is to struggle in the way my mother has. One day I will have my big house and my nice car. I won’t settle for anything else. Then maybe I can pay my mother back for all that she done for me. I hope one day I can live up to her expectations. In my lifetime I have learned many things. One thing is that things don’t work out as you plan, but never lose hope.

Alicia Bonneville has been going to Quinsigamond’s GED program since September 25, 2002.  She was born in Worcester and lives back and forth from Worcester and Webster.  Now she live in Worcester.  Her future goals are to get her GED, go to college and get a good paying job.