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Ray GarciaRay
Garcia is single and lives with his brother and sister-in-law and their
children.
Ray quit school his senior year because he thought he was “too cool”
to go to school, a decision he regrets. I
probably speak for a lot of young men and girls.
I just thought it was too cool so I just quit school.
But now I do regret it, not getting my diploma.
I’ve always been like the class clown, you know, I’ve always liked
the attention. I think that once I
really did try to get my education I was already burnt out.
A lot of it had to do with myself. It
got to the point where I gave up. Sometimes
I did go in, [and] I did really try; but I just got to a point where I goofed up
so much that I think they didn’t even care to give me my education.
And sometimes I think they just passed me just to get rid of me, to be
honest. Many study
participants clearly felt they had been moved through the school system without
gaining the skills and knowledge they needed.
After leaving school Ray “bummed around” and worked in a variety of
jobs that included carpentry, auto mechanics and manufacturing.
His most recent work has been in electronics where he clearly
demonstrates aptitude. I
worked with electronics and I was doin’ real good.
I inspected circuit boards and I was supposed to go to college.
They was goin’ to send me. To
get hired in you had to have at least your GED.
And see, I was through the temporary service and they really wanted me to
come in. There was a fear inside my
heart that I didn’t want to let them know I didn’t have my GED, so I quit.
I just felt dumb, I guess, and I didn’t want them to know that I didn’t
have my GED. I think that I’m a
pretty smart guy, but it’s just that little piece of paper that holds me back.
Because he lacked the required credential and was self
conscious about telling his employer, Ray quit his job.
He felt capable of doing the work required of him even though he didn’t
have “that little piece of paper.” Ray
had demonstrated his abilities by passing an exam administered by the temporary
employment agency that referred him to the electronics job site. I
had to have a test, it was 140 questions and two hours and thirty minutes of
tests and I passed it. They wouldn’t
send anybody that didn’t pass the test over there.
It’s just, a lot of times they ask you first thing, [for a] GED or
diploma. So I go with the basics,
wherever I can get a job, and stick it out as far as I can.
But then when they get to the point where they want to hire me, I got to
show proof of a GED or diploma and then that’s where I break, go somewhere
else to another temporary service for awhile because I don’t have my GED.
I just feel bad. I don’t
want to tell people that I work with. Ray realizes that not having the GED “holds him back”
from job success, but he feels his ability to perform on the job should be more
important than the credential represented by the GED.
Given his demonstrated abilities, it seems likely that Ray would be a
strong candidate for successfully completing GED classes.
He is reluctant to attend, however.
Ray started a GED program briefly, but was self
conscious and uncomfortable in the classes. I
think that some people are afraid to ask questions, you’re there and you don’t
know, and then you’re afraid to ask.
Some people are very timid and they don’t want to feel dumb and they
don’t come back.
Sometimes they feel like they don’t fit in and they just don’t think
they know enough.
They just get all stressed out, you know.
I just can’t ask questions, I just don’t want to feel dumb.
Feeling inadequate in classes was a common concern among
respondents. Ray also worried
specifically about taking the GED exam and exhibited characteristics of test
anxiety. I
get scared, you know. I was never a
good test taker. I don’t know
why, I just feel like I’m going to have the wrong answer and it just makes me
nervous. Then I feel like, “Man,
I guess I am dumb.” And probably
a lot of people feel like that--“Well, I failed, I had no business takin’
it.”
The
GED is a real barrier for Ray--not only does it keep him from holding jobs he is
capable of performing, it also prevents him from pursuing further education.
Ray would like to formally study electronics and stated, “I always want
to learn a little bit more, it just fascinates me to learn stuff.” |
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