Yamon, Class of 2009
“Yamon didn’t follow the trajectory of a typical Marian student, because she wasn’t the typical Marian student. A refugee from Liberia, Yamon was older than many students in her class and had to learn to adjust to life in the United States as an elementary student. Schoolwork in a new language didn’t come easy, but Yamon always put forth her best effort in her classes and was a voracious reader. After becoming pregnant in high school, she had to leave school to provide for her family. She tried online classes to earn her diploma, but realized a GED was a better option. With the assistance of the Graduate Support Program, Yamon studied and tested for years but could not earn enough points on the math section to complete the credential. Finally, after five years of hard work, Yamon finally passed her GED. She is now enrolled in community college and hopes to become a physical therapist. She and her daughter frequently complete school work together, encouraging each other to reach their goals. Yamon is one of our greatest examples of grit and persistence and I can’t wait to see her next successes.” ~Kaitlyn Sanders, director of college and career success (summer 2017)