Like any other June high school graduate, Marie Plouhar is looking forward to the future and attending college. But Plouhar is not your typical graduate.
Nearly 15 years after she dropped out of her Florida high school at the age of 16, Plouhar walked in a graduation ceremony for the Lake Orion Adult Education program and Learning Options High School on June 3 at the Lake Orion High School Performing Arts Center. She said the experience was like nothing she’s ever felt before.
‘I felt honored in myself,? she said. ‘When I walked in, the cheering and the roaring was going on…I just cried. I’m thankful I got to experience that.?
Plouhar’s story began when her parents divorced and she moved to Florida with her mother at the age of 12. She dropped out of school in Florida just after her 16th birthday.
‘The schools there just couldn’t keep me interested,? she said. ‘That was a big mistake.?
Plouhar spent the next 15 years ‘going down wrong roads,? using crack cocaine and living life on the streets.
‘I knew I needed an education,? she said. ‘I had a daughter who was almost one-year-old. My grandmother (Joyce Plouhar, who recently passed away) told me about the adult education program in Lake Orion.?
Plouhar returned to Michigan and began taking classes to earn her high school diploma at the Community Educational Resource Center (CERC) three years ago. She will finally have her diploma at the end of June when she finishes three weeks of summer school.
‘I was a full-time student, I went four times a week. Summer school is five times a week for three weeks,? she said. Plouhar and her daughter DonnaRay, who turns four in August, recently moved into a home in Oxford.
‘My parents are just as proud as they can be,? Plouhar said of mom Donna, who came up from Florida to see her graduate, and father Raymond, who still lives in Lake Orion.
‘My step parents have done so much for me also…my stepmom Cynthia Plouhar has been standing behind me…and my stepfather Woody believed in me,? she added.
Plouhar also got support while pursuing her education from fiancee Marco.
‘He’s been good to us…I guess he saw something past me I never thought anyone would see in me. He believed in me,? she said.
Right now, Plouhar is working part-time while she works to finish up her degree, and she is looking for full-time work for the summer. She will soon start classes at Baker College, with a focus on human resources, as a full-time student.
‘I’ve been to prison, so there’s a lot of jobs that aren’t open to me,? Plouhar said. ‘I’d love to be a corrections officer, but it will never happen. I’d like to give people hope.?
Plouhar said her earning her diploma is the first thing she felt she really accomplished in life.
‘I was older than some of the other students,? she added. ‘My computer teacher, Linda Crane, worked with a me a lot, I didn’t even know how to turn on a computer when I started.?
Plouhar also has high praise for teachers Donna Smith and her math teacher Barb.
‘Donna’s class was my favorite,? she said. ‘She gave every kid that boost to keep coming back and make it. She teaches everything but math and computers.
‘My math teacher Barb taught me how to use the calculator…I didn’t even know what some of the buttons were for,? said Plouhar, adding that her favorite class was Global Studies.
Plouhar plans to sit down one day when her daughter is older and tell her story.
‘We’ll talk about mom before and mom after,? she said. ‘She went to school with me every day, they have a day care program.
Plouhar is nervous about starting college.
‘I’m nervous I won’t be able to keep up, but I’m going to shoot for it,? she said. ‘My scholarship requires that I be a full-time student, so I’ll go three times a week. I just want to be able to have a good career.
‘I’d really like to work with troubled teens, going down the same road I was. Girls who are in the street, my heart wants to let them know they can change.?
For anyone thinking about going back to school, Plouhar has simple advice: ‘Go back.?
‘Anyone who hasn’t experienced the walk or gotten the diploma, should go back,? she said. ‘I’ve almost got one of my neighbors talked into it, he’s starting to get excited. It’s been long and hard these three years, but it was one of my biggest goals.?
Plouhar said no matter how much work is ahead, going back to school is worth the work.
‘If it’s 20 credits or two credits, it’s worth it,? she added.