Spotlight on Success: Janel

“I was where you are, last year.”

By Manique Braziel

Oftentimes, we place limitations on ourselves that are purely imaginary, yet tangible in how they propel or hinder us from reaching our goals. We measure our entire lives in seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, and years. I should have reached this goal by this age. I should have learned this sooner, so I could benefit from it by now. If I had only done this back then, where would I be now?

This sentiment is shared by many of our students here at Literacy Pittsburgh, particularly those pursuing a GED credential. It is often mixed with concern for the stigma they often face for not completing high school “on time” or “in the right way”. But on the other side of that worry, many of our students find success because our path is not linear. There is no time limit when you’re willing to persevere.

Janel Griffin, a 2024 Literacy Pittsburgh GED graduate, was invited to address this year’s graduates at our GED Graduation Celebration.  She emphasized the importance of persevering on your own path and destigmatizing society’s perception of the value of a nontraditional education. Janel is a Pittsburgh native, living predominantly in Homewood, and is currently attending CCAC. She holds a 3.7 GPA and was recently accepted into the 2025/2026 Nursing Program. Janel has lived a full life, and it was my pleasure to sit with her and discuss her journey to her GED and beyond.

M: Tell me about your journey to obtain your GED.

JG: My journey to the GED started when I didn’t know I needed one. Halfway through the pandemic, my job informed us that we were considered non-essential, and I knew I needed to return to school and pursue an education. I reached out to Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS) and received my transcript in the mail. I remember feeling so excited, as if this was one part of what I needed to get started, but when I looked at it, my heart fell into my stomach. I just kept saying, “Where’s the rest of it?”

My official transcript had sections blocked out with whiteout. Penned and typed notes were written over it. I called the school and spoke with a representative who seemed eager to assist me. She said, “We’re gonna get to the bottom of this.” Then a week went by, and a few more weeks after that. I kept calling around and wasn’t getting any return calls. I didn’t have a physical location to go to because people were still fully remote. I felt defeated. It took me a while to accept it and find another way to go about getting what I wanted. In 2023, I said, “I’m gonna get my GED.”

M: Why did you choose Literacy Pittsburgh?  

JG: Well, I got on Google, started reaching out to different programs, and one lady I spoke with said, “Have you ever heard of Literacy Pittsburgh?” I replied, “No.” She said that LP has a great program. So, I came down to sign up and met with Terra, Sierra, and Emily, who were all very welcoming. I completed the entrance testing, and I felt like I did well, but my level was not good. I was in complete disbelief, but Sierra said, “Don’t worry about the level—this happens often. You’ll brush up on it, and everything will start to come back to you.” And she was right. I pushed through and started excelling.

M: Can you tell me about the impact of having support from your educators as you pursued your goals?

JG: I got into a car accident and lost short-term memory. I was going for concussion treatment twice per week, and I was very frustrated with myself because I wasn’t able to retain information for long. I wanted to quit, but Terra knew exactly what I was going through after experiencing a concussion herself. She said, “I’m not gonna let you quit. You can do this. You need to give yourself grace.” Emily said, “Be kind to yourself.” I’ll remember that for the rest of my life. Words of encouragement, especially when, as a child, you never heard them very often, will set a fire in a person so bright. I'll always carry it with me. I'll probably tell my grandkids.

I didn’t tell anyone I was going for my GED until after I passed the test. I was ashamed of it, so I kept it to myself, until I passed. I was ecstatic; I sat in the car and cried because this part of my journey was over. Once I got my GED, I told everybody! Literacy Pittsburgh was the light in the midst of the storm. They’re welcoming, they’re nice, they really care, and the staff – even on my bad days – were like, “You can still do this.” They got me resources. We set goals, met them, crossed them off, and planned the next move. Carey has built an amazing team.

M: You mentioned at the end of your address that you had been accepted into the CCAC Nursing Program for the Fall – congratulations! You also mentioned having a conversation with our staff about pursuing your master’s degree. Now that you’ve met your goal of getting into the nursing program, what’s next? I truly hope you pursue public speaking because your way with words is truly inspiring. You had students crying!

JG: [Laughs] I couldn’t even look at them! To tell my story is to tell the story of so many. I’m a single mom of three boys, I have my GED, and I’m 38 years old. I grew up in a broken home. My maternal support system did the best they could, which wasn’t always enough. I attended an inner-city school and fell through the cracks. Once you’ve been told “No” enough, you start making your own way of getting “Yes.” So many people have come from where I’ve come from, been through what I’ve been through, and probably worse, and I don’t hear the story being told enough, which ignites my passion for public speaking.

After completing the nursing program through CCAC, I want to pursue my Master’s in Nursing by earning my CRA or NP. I learned at a young age by taking care of my elderly aunts to keep them out of nursing homes. I want to give back to my community, and bridge that gap for women and access to healthcare.

 

Janel’s road to success was not linear. There were many pivots she had to maneuver on her journey. But she reached her goals on Her Time. Janel’s moving address to the Class of 2025 is a testament to the reality that we all face in life. Time may be finite for us all, but it’s what you do with the time you have that matters, not how you measure everyone else’s timeline. Literacy Pittsburgh wishes all its students continued success in their goals! Where you are now and where you will be next year, the power is in your hands, and we are proud to support you in reaching those goals one step at a time.