Against the odds
Teen mother graduates from GED
By YVETTE N. FREEMAN
Community Newt Editor
Like many teenage girls in
high school, 18-year-old Tabitha
Murdaugh didn't know what the
future held in store for her when
would depend on her for at least
the next 18 years.
As in most teen pregnancy
cases, Murdaugh dropped out of
school to become a full time mother
to her new daughter, Tekira.
At the time, graduating with a
"When I went to get my GED, I
was like, 'I have to do this
because of Tekira.' She's the
reason I do most of the things."
- - Tabitha Murdaugh
?. ... * ?
she became pregnant. All she
knew was thai a tiny bundle of life
high school diploma seemed just a
dream that would have to wait.
Tabitha Murdaugh receives her diploma from Bob Greene, presi
dent of Forsyth Technical Community College.
L
Tiblthi Murdaugh says her 20-month-old daughter, Tekira, was the inspiration for her attaining the
QED cflplomfe
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And unfortunately, for many
teenage girls who become preg
nant, that dream never comes true.
It usually gets pushed way down to
the bottom of the list of necessities
behind diapers, baby food, baby
clothes, and other more important
items. ?
By the time a young mother
can even get to the bottom of the
list, it's usually too late. The
dream has either faded or there just
isn't enough time to study, do
homework and take care of the
baby.
Fortunately for Murdaugh, her
dream didn't fade, and she made
_ the time to aUend GED classes at
Forsyth Technical Community Col
lege. After a year of hard work and
determination, she graduated this
? past November.
"When I became pregnant, 1
didn't know what I was going to
do. I didn't know if I was going to
go back to school. But I think I
made the best decision," she said.
Now with her GED under her
belt, Murdaugh plans to enroll in
the two-year Medical Assistant
Program at Guilford Technical i
Community
1 ill
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concisely and neatly printed or typed, to the Chronicle
Calendar, 617 N. Liberty St., Winston-Salem,' N.C .27102,
before 5:30 p.m. the Monday preceding the week in which
your event will occur. Our FAX number is (919) 723-9173.
THURSDAY, DEC. 12
? African-Americans in Bethabara and
Salem will be presented by Camille Roddy of
Historic Bethabara at 3 p.m. at the Neighborhood
Government Services Office, 2305 Patterson Ave.
The program is free and open to the public.
? The Winston Lake Family YMCA's 67th
Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet will be held
at 6:30 pjn. at the YMCA. The keynote speaker
will be Cokhlftsbop Harris, head football coach
at NCCU. Tickets are $20 per person, or $160 for
a table of 8, and may be purchased at the Winston
Lake YMCA, 901 Waterworks Rd.f or from any
staff or board member. For more information, call
724-9205.
? A Holiday Spectacular, a song and dance
show of the popular and classical tunes from the
varied celebrations of the Winter Holidays, will be
presented by the Main Event Show Choir today
and tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. in the RJ Reynolds
Auditorium, 301 N. Hawthorne Rd. Tickets are $3
at the door. For more information, call 727-2061.
? The Forsyth Technical Community College
Board of Trustees Standing Committees Meeting
will be held at 3 p jn. in the Board Room.
FRIDAY, DEC. 13
? The Faustwork Mask Theatre will perform
at the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art
(SECCA) at 7:30 p.m. Faustwork will present a
two-man show, Mask Messengers in SECCA's
McChesney Scott Dunn Auditorium. Tickets are
$5 for SECCA members, senior adults and
students, and $10 for the general public. Children
under 12 are free. SECCA is located at 750
Marguerite Drive. For more information, call 725
; 1904.
? Historic Bethabara Park will host
"Christmas in Bethabara" through Sunday. The
event includes Candle Light Tours of the 1788
Gemeinhaus and the annual Christmas Concert by
the Piedmont Chamber Singers. All events are
free and open to the public. Reservations are
required for the Candle Light Tours. For more
information, call 924-8191.
? An exhibition of ink drawings and
sculptures by the late Carlos Alfonzo will open at
the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art
(SECCA), 750 Marguerite Dr. The exhibit
entitled, "Habitual" will be on view in SECCA's
Porch Gallery through April 12, 1992. For more
information, call 725-1904.
? The Piedmont Triad Engineering Research
Center Study Committee will meet at 9 a.m. in
Room 139 of the Anderson Center on the campus
ofWSSU.
SATURDAY, DEC. 14
? The Youth Program at the Sawtooth Center
for Visual Art will hold its second session of its
annual series of Holiday workshops for children.
The workshop, entitled "Toys," will meet from
9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. The fee is $20. The
workshop is open to children in kindergarten
through eighth grade. For more information or
registration, call 723-7395 between 9 a.m. and 5
p.m.
? A bazaar, yard sale, and bake sale will be
held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Walkertown
Middle School auditorium. Craftsmen may rent
space for $10 to sell items. Contact Mary
Hutchins at 595-2161 or 595-2224.
? A "Christmas Carol Sing-A-Long" will be
held from 6-7:30 pan. at Martin Luther King Jr.
Blvd. Bring your family, neighbors, and friends to
enjoy an evening filled with music and
entertainment. Ba^jjpants will line MLK Jr.
Blvd. from Cleveland Ate. to First St, and sing
the old yuletide carols. All civic, social, and
church groups are invited to participate. For more
information, call The BesHShoice Center at 722
0597.
SUNDAY, DEC. 15 ~~
? The three historic houses, Reynolda House,
Museum of American Art, Graylyn Conference
Center of Wake Forest University and the
Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, will
open their doors to the public from 1-6 pjn. The
afternoon will feature festive holiday decorations,
entertainment, and refreshments at each house.
Admission is $7 for adults and $3 for children.
Tickets will be available at the door the afternoon
of the event.
? A Holiday Benefit Concert for the Ronald
McDonald House of W-S will be held from
7:30p.m. until 12 p.m. at Cowboys Nitelife,^
located on Hwy. 66 South in Kernersville. Doors
open at 7:30p.m. with entertainment from three
bands beginning at 8 p.m. Admission is $5 per
person. For more information, call Nancy Fagg at
723-0228.
? The Winston-Triad Chapter of The Lupus
Foundation will sponsor a "Holiday Party and
Covered Dish Dinner" at 2:30p.m., in the Activity
Building of Highland Presbyterian Church. There
will be Christmas crafts, a flea market table, door
prizes, and special guest physician Dr. Molly
Burgoyne, a Rheumatologist at Bowman Gray
School of Medicine. She will present some
"Highlights of the National Meeting of the
American College of Rheumatologjsts." Tax
deductible credit will be given for any donated
items. The event is free and open x&the public.
Please RSVP at 768-1493.
Please see page B7
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1. Bills you can not pay due to lack of money pr dispute
2. Civil Lawsuits, Judgements or Liens
Robert Dunlap and Associates will negotiate a reduced and
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creditors.
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. 205 W. 3" St. ? W-S, N.C. 27101 ? 748-0167 Ext. 3
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Attorney At Law
301 S.LIBERTY OlO 70R QA1 1
WINSTON-SALEM, NC 27101 i 1JL
Tabltha Murdaugh recently graduated from Forsyth Tech's GEDl
program. Her daughter, Tekira, holds up the GED final exam. ;
boro. She is already a Certified
Nurses Aid (CNA).
"The medical assistant sounds
very interesting to me. That's what
I think 1 want to do," she said.
Murdangh, who is a native of
South Carolina, moved to Winston
Salem with her parents about a
year ago. And she says it has been
the love and encouragement of her
family that has helped her to
achieve her goals.
However, Murdaugh also said
thatTekira is the guiding light
behind her success.
"I feel like everything I do, I
have lo do it for her. When I went
to get my GED, I was like, 'I have
to do this because of Tekira.' She's
the reason I do most of the things."
She aridftri that although being
a teenage mother is not easy, it has
matured her. "It's not easy because
it's a lot of responsibility and a lot
of persistence," she said. "It's a lot
involved. It's developing the per
sonality, the type of person you
want heT to be. And me being a
child myself, it's hard."
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