Gary's College Chance

Gary shares a story about how he almost didn't graduate high school due to failing language requirements and his unconventional path to college.

"I got an F in all four marking periods of German 1 freshman year. I retook it sophomore year, got a D in the first marking period, and then proceeded to get all F's. I failed language my freshman and sophomore year. In the state of New Jersey in 1994, if you did not pass 2 years of language you could not graduate high school.

I walked into junior year and took Spanish 1 with all these 9th graders as a junior. I had the pressure on, and luckily Señora Kennedy saw something in me and forced me through the system, otherwise it was over for me.

I didn't open a book in 4 years of high school and did zero homework. When it came time for college, my mom asked me what I was doing for college in February of my senior year. I said 'Mom, it's over, I'm not going to college.' She lost her mind and forced me to go. I got a postcard in the mail from Mount Ida College, filled it out, and that's literally how I went to college."