Fatima Hassan is one of seven students who will be inducted into the National Adult Education Honor Society in June. Congratulations, Fatima!
This past spring, Fatima Hassan celebrated her youngest son graduating from college with a degree in electrical engineering. But next month, the family hopes to be celebrating her after she takes the final section of her GED test.
“They can’t wait. They said they’re coming with bells and whistles,” Hassan said. “I didn’t take the decorations down because I want to see that I am next.”
Education is something that has always been important to her, Hassan said, but with five children and multiple businesses to run, her educational goals were delayed.
“I pushed the kids to education more than myself,” she said. “I gave my life all to them.”
But as her kids grew older, Hassan started studying through Detroit Public School Community District adult education program (in partnership with Detroit at Work) to earn her GED. In 2019, she also enrolled at Siena Literacy Center, where she studies with tutor John Kluka. She has only one section of the GED left to take, language arts, before she finally passes the test.
“I don’t even know how I’m going to react when I graduate,” she said. “After all these years you’re just dreaming and finally it will come.”
After she passes the test, Hassan plans to enroll in college and hopes she can continue to work on her courses with Kluka. “I know it’s going to be a little bit more, with essays and English,” she said. “It’s just awesome having that help.”
Hassan hopes that she can also encourage other women her age to pursue their educations, especially those who might be afraid to do so.
“It’s worth it,” she said. “Try it. As soon as you start you won’t give up. Just reach for the moon; reach for the stars. You’ll just be proud of yourself that you have that knowledge that you never had before.”
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