She's one of this year's earliest high school graduates. But she waited 15 years to get her diploma.
Angela Davis-Rodriguez was devastated to learn as a senior at North Cobb High School in 1996 that she would not be receiving her diploma. She walked across the stage with her classmates carrying a secret she would hide for years.
Davis-Rodriguez did not pass the math section of the state high school graduation exam. She studied and took the test again. And again. And again. Despite her efforts, she couldn't pass it. An otherwise model student, her plans for college were put on hold.
Until now. Monday morning, with her husband and two children watching, Davis-Rodriguez got her diploma in the high school media center, thanks to a waiver granted by the state board of education.
“It’s like the whole entire world has been lifted off of my shoulders," Davis-Rodriguez told the AJC.
Davis-Rodriguez took the test again the spring for the fifth time, but the result was the same. Addition and subtraction are no problem. Multiplication and division? Sure. But bring on algebra and things just don't add up.
"My brain is just not wired for all of that," she said.
In January, Davis-Rodriguez wrote a three-page letter to Cobb County schools Superintendent Fred Sanderson explaining her situation. With her husband of nearly 14 years serving in Afghanistan, Davis-Rodriguez works a full-time job at a childcare center to help support the couple's two children, ages 12 and 10.
She's worked her way to a job as the center's director, but now must further her education with a certificate to continue her job. Beyond that initial certificate, Davis-Rodriguez would like to earn a four-year degree and become a teacher herself.
Her story was compelling, and combined with her good grades from high school, the school system agreed to help her, said Suzy Peppers, a member of the curriculum team at the school system's central office.
"She just needed someone to help her," Peppers said.
Waivers are not easy to get and are handled on a case-by-case basis, Peppers said. But the state board granted Davis-Rodriguez' request. On Monday, North Cobb principal Phillip Page presented her with her Class of 2011 diploma. In addition to her family, Sanderson, Peppers and other educators were on hand for the ceremony.
Sanderson praised Davis-Rodriguez for her determination and urged her to continue to set her goals high.
"What a role model for your kids," Sanderson said. "I hope it shows that hard work and perseverance can overcome any type of obstacle. It's 15 years later, but you're here."
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