Martina Dix

For Martina Dix, earning her GED was truly a family affair. Martina’s uncle is Jeff Mazo, Seeds of Literacy’s Retention & Reassessment Coordinator. He encouraged Martina to take advantage of the free GED preparation that Seeds offers. Jeff knew Martina had the potential to succeed—she just had to take the first step.

But it wasn’t just Martina who decided to turn her education around. Her niece Darniqua and her sisters Cassandra and Brianna also enrolled. Together, they attended class nearly every night. Martina says that before enrolling, “my life was kind of unfulfilled. I needed to complete myself. I wanted to go further than where I was.” And Martina did go further.

With the support of her family, they encouraged and pushed each other to attend class, work hard, and reach their goals. Their dedication to each other and their education paid off: Martina, Cassandra, Brianna, and Darniqua were thrilled when they all passed the GED exam within weeks of each other.

Though she’s been employed for years at a fast food chain, Martina is excited for the new opportunities the GED gives her. “I have options now,” says Martina. “I want to further my education. I can do that.” And she wants to make sure that other people know they can have the same opportunities if they try. “People feel like if they get to a certain age, they can’t succeed,” she says. “Don’t give up. Ever.“