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Seven Earn Educational Certificates Through Tully House Reentry Program
West Caldwell, NJ February 23 -
As Ron Morrison, Deputy Director of Tully House, stepped to the microphone to welcome the audience to last week’s graduation ceremony he looked out and saw many eyes filled with hope. The eyes looking back at him were from the family members of Tully House residents who came to watch their sons, husbands, and fathers graduate from an educational class that earned them their Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC) certificates. The TASC certificate is one of three offered in New Jersey as a high school equivalency exam.
From 2013-2014, Tully House graduated 30 residents through its TASC/GED program. Last week, seven graduates and five honorable mentions were recognized. The education program is just one of many reentry services offered at Tully House, a Newark, New Jersey-based reentry center that provides services to offenders referred from the New Jersey Department of Corrections. Services at Tully House include a family services programs, substance abuse treatment, work release services, life-skills training, domestic violence/men’s workshop, and aftercare services.
“Knowledge is power, lack of knowledge is ignorance,” said Mr. Morrison. “Free your mind and soul from any and all confinements.”
The graduation ceremony included guest speaker Edward Worth, who was a former resident of Tully House. After completing the Tully House reentry program, he went to college and achieved honor society status. Mr. Worth gave credit to continuing his education to Deputy Director Morrison for his unceasing support and thanked him for believing in his ability to succeed.
Residents that earned their high school equivalency diplomas were also invited to speak and several expressed heartfelt thanks to the staff at Tully House, especially Debra Wilson-Saunders, Manager of Education. Ms. Wilson-Saunders works to support her students and provides additional tutoring in basic educational skills. She is assisted by Leighton Newlin, Director of Special Services, who assists residents in continuing their education by helping them gain admittance to local colleges. Currently, Tully House has sixteen residents enrolled in Union and Essex County Colleges.
“A winner never quits; a quitter never wins,” said Ms. Wilson-Saunders as she addressed the large audience. She added that she was proud that Tully House has been designated an official testing site for GEDs and hopes to encourage other residents to undertake study for the test and to pursue education.
One of the most moving moments of the ceremony occurred when a graduate’s grandmother took the microphone and delivered a heart-felt thank you to Tully House staff for giving her grandson this opportunity. She said she had waited a long time to see this and that she was very proud.
Community Education Centers, Inc. (CEC) is the leading provider of offender reentry and in-prison treatment services in America, operating in 17 states and the Commonwealth of Bermuda. CEC provides a full range of therapeutic residential and non-residential reentry services with a documented record of reducing recidivism.
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