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82-year-old working hard to reach life dream: equivalency diploma

Photo by Joni Knott.
Dollie Smith.

Originally published April 13, 2015.

Working hard to support her family from an early age, 82-year-old Dollie Smith is now hard at work to accomplish one of her own life dreams and goals: to attain a high school level of education and her high school equivalency diploma.  

“I want my education because none of my folks was educated, and I want to be the first in my family to get one (a high school level education),” says Smith. “My dad couldn’t write his name. My mother couldn’t write her name or even count money.”

Smith was born in Arkansas in the early 1930s and was briefly introduced to public school at age 6.

“I cried all day and my daddy wouldn’t let me go no more,” she said.

The next time Smith was allowed to enter the school, she was 9 years old and attended class sporadically throughout the year. She continued on with her studies until she was 16 and had completed the third grade.

“I wanted it (an education) and I tried to go to school, but Pa wouldn’t let me,” Smith says. “He said, ‘No, you’re going to stay home today; you’re just going to see the boys. I don’t have no education and you don’t need one either.’”

According to Smith, her sister was also in school until about the third grade and her brother spent less time in school than either of them.

“My brother never had that much (formal schooling), but he could run a sawmill and do all that stuff,” she said. “When we got big enough to work, that’s what we did.”

Some of their early jobs consisted of work around the fields. As they grew older, they were encouraged to pursue other employment opportunities.

“We worked in the fields, cut logs and cut billets,” said Smith. “Then, we were taught how to use a sawmill. I was 13 (years old).”

Eventually, Smith got married and started her own family with four children. When her husband left, she raised her kids by herself.  

“I took care of my kids while I worked,” she says. “I decided to go back to school a long time ago when my kids was in school, but I always had to work.”

Unlike her father, Smith always encouraged her children in their studies and worked to promote their educational endeavors.

“I sent them to school,” she said. “They got a high school education and graduated. They all made straight A’s. My younger girl went to college after she got hers (high school diploma).”

Smith tried to use other opportunities to learn and teach herself while working at various locations.

“I learned to read calibers, multiply and other stuff,” said Smith. “I had a little help. The other people would help me a little bit and they kindly taught me.”

When she was between jobs, Smith studied and attended adult education classes to work towards her diploma. However, the situations never lasted long and she was working again.  

“I raised my kids by myself,” Smith said. “I bought my house and paid for it. I bought a truck and paid for it. I bought my van and paid for it. I paid for my sister’s funeral bill. I’ve had some hard work and we never had very much.”

Now, having retired on March 1, 1995, and the having time and resources to focus on her studies, Smith is back in the classroom working towards her high school equivalency diploma.

“I can do the math, but I don’t understand part of what I read,” said Smith. “I have a tutor and when he reads to me, I get it and that helps a lot.”

Smith is currently situated at the sixth grade proficiency level, but she is due for level testing in the coming weeks. She says that she hopes to go up another two grades after she takes the exam.

“I don’t know when I’ll graduate,” she said. “It just thrills me and I will be happy to get it (her diploma). All of my kids are proud of me. I just want to get it and everybody has their fingers crossed.”