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!”
Billions of dollars sit in unapplied cash across U.S. healthcare each year—payments received but never correctly applied. This hidden problem creates revenue leakage, compliance risks, and patient frustration. ❓ What Is Unapplied Cash? Unapplied cash occurs when payments are received but not properly matched to patient accounts. Causes include: ⚠️ The Risks of Ignoring It […]
Hopeworks' alternative program in Camden pays young people to undergo technical training and obtain a skill set to help them get a job. James Horn hit rock bottom when he landed in solitary confinement on his 20th birthday after several run-ins with law enforcement. That November 2023 punishment, after he fought with another inmate at […]
Hopeworks talent is everywhere! This month, Isabella, Amad, Kaydaysia, and Frank turned training into transformation with new roles at Resintech, Paramount Philly, and Chubb. These wins aren’t just job offers, they’re the start of real careers, built on purpose, skill, and drive. Interested in hiring Hopeworks talent? Contact Riscee Langhorne, Director of Workforce Solutions below!
