Student Success Story: Jaden

Jaden Windham is a wildland firefighter during fire season, but when the off season came, he didn’t have much work, so he decided to go back to school to get his high school equivalency degree or GED from Klamath Community College.

“I realized that anything you want to do beyond the regular laborer work, you need a GED to do it,” he said. “For me, I didn’t attend school as regularly as I should have. But I soon realized if you want to become more valuable to your employer, you needed a GED to advance.”

“Basically, the more skilled you are, the more educated, the more of an asset you are to a company.”

Jaden obtained his GED at the Klamath Center for Education and Training (K-CET) program at KCC. It is an adult basic education and GED test prep center specializing in preparing students for obtaining a GED, improving their English language skills or preparing to become a U.S. citizen.

Jaden hopes to continue his education by obtaining a Commercial Driver’s License, study fire science, and obtain some first-responder training.

“Anything you want to do, you need the high school diploma or standard GED to do it,” he said.

He may also take some business classes and open a small business of his own someday.

“The teachers are helpful; they want you to succeed. You’ll get out of it what you put into it. I would recommend it to anyone seeking a GED.”