MILWAUKEE (June 2, 2011) ─ Graduates at the 26th annual GED/HSED completion and recognition ceremony hosted by Milwaukee Area Technical College were encouraged to "Aim for success, not for perfection," by keynote speaker Alejandro Nunez, programming and planning analyst for Adult Basic Education and the English Language Learner Program for the Wisconsin Technical College System. The ceremony was held June 2 at the U.S. Cellular Arena. Nunez also said, "Remember your strength... your ability to learn."

A total of 1,352 students from MATC and its 40 community-based organization partners earned their General Educational Development and High School Equivalency diplomas.

Shanice Brown of Journey House delivered the student address. Brown told the crowd that she had dropped out of high school for several years before earning her GED. She plans to enter MATC's criminal justice-law enforcement associate degree program in the fall. She is the first person in her family to go to college.

For more information about MATC's Pre-College Education Division, visit http://matc.edu/acad/precollege.html