In all of the years Shawneeq Pettey-Ford has been administering the HiSET Test, both as a mathematics teacher/program coordinator at Camden Community College and as ABS Program Manager for Hopeworks, she has never once seen anyone get a perfect score on a subtest of the HiSET. That is, until Miles Watson came along.
Miles got a perfect score on the Social Studies subtest of the HiSET—on his first try! He scored a 20 out of 20. “He is so intelligent,” says Shawneeq.
More recently, Miles passed all five subtests and earned his high school diploma. The actual document arrived in time for his birthday.
“Miles' older brother got his diploma with us,” says Shawneeq. Miles came in October 2020, when he was 16. His scores on the TABE (diagnostic) test were so off the charts, Shawneeq thought, “Wow. Miles, we need to register you now.”
She says Miles would have earned his diploma much sooner had there not been issues with his forms of identification. It also took a long time to get signed consent forms from his family. “The pandemic didn’t help, either,” says Shawneeq. In the interim, Miles went through the training and took lots of practice tests.
When Miles was able to take the five subtests of the HiSET—Language Arts, Writing, Mathematics, and Social Studies—he wanted to do more than just “pass.” He wanted to do his best. So on some tests, even though he got a passing score, he would ask Shawneeq if he could take the test again. “I’d tell him, ‘Miles, you passed!,” and he’d say, “Yeah, but I know I can do better.
“That’s Miles!,” says Shawneeq. “I am so excited to see what his future looks like!”
Helping disadvantaged young adults in the U.S. to overcome barriers to economic opportunity and secured sustained long-term employment Hopeworks was founded in New Jersey in 1999 to help young adults overcome barriers to economic opportunity and build sustainable futures. Most participants do not have college degrees, and 99% of them are unemployed when they join […]
$1.2M Commitment from The Hg Foundation Enables Hopeworks’ Expansion into Two New Cities The Hg Foundation, a grant-giving charity focused on improving tech education and skills, today announced a new $1.2 million partnership with Hopeworks, a U.S. social enterprise that supports young adults into long-term living wage careers. The partnership will enable Hopeworks to expand its […]
Check out our Camden office full of energy, creativity, and hustle at our Pop-Up Shop Lunch Event! Our incredible young adults showcased and sold their original art, handmade jewelry, delicious food desserts, and so much more. From eye-catching booths to mouthwatering treats, every table told a story of passion, talent, and entrepreneurship. Proud to support […]
