Amy Pride was 16 years old when she dropped out of Brandywine High School to deal with the death of her grandfather.

Eleven years later, Pride is 27 years old and struggling to find a good job to support her three children, ages 2, 5 and 6.

“It is difficult to find a place to work anywhere,” said the Niles woman. “They (employers) want you to have a GED or high school diploma or they want to see that you are working to get one. It’s just hard.”

Now that her children are old enough to begin attending school, Pride wants to make sure they place a high value on education.

If she wants them to have a better life, Pride said she needs to set a good example.

“I don’t want them to go through what I went through,” Pride said. “I want them to go to college and make something out of their life.”

Pride is backing her words with action as she has enrolled in the Adult Basic Education (ABE) program at the Ferry Street Resource Center in Niles. The free program is designed to teach Niles area adults age 20 or older the skills they need to eventually pass the GED test.

Pride’s goal is to get her GED by the end of the school year.

“I am not going to let anything stop me,” Pride said. “My kids are too important.”

This year’s ABE program begins Monday, Sept. 8. Classes meet from 5 to 7 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays and run until the end of the school year.

Sue Polishuk, executive director of Ferry Street Resource Center, said class times become more flexible after students get established. Most of the work is done on computers at the resource center, 620 Ferry St. One-on-one instruction is provided and the pace of learning is relaxed.

Eight have enrolled so far in the program, which is paid for by a federal grant through Niles Community Schools.

“There were 11 in it last year, but I would like to meet that goal or exceed it,” Polishuk said.

Forty-seven year old Charity Lewis, of Niles, is also enrolled.

She said she dropped out of Niles High School because her grandmother was sick and she chose to spend time with her in the hospital. She would have graduated in 1989.

After dealing with a substance abuse problem for some time, Lewis said she has been sober for 16 months. One of her goals when she got clean was to obtain her GED and eventually go to college.

“I want to be happy,” Lewis said. “I am still at it and I’m still trying (to get my GED). It is really hard, but I am going to keep at it.”

For more information about the program, or to register, stop by the Ferry Street Resource Center or call the center at (269) 687-9860.

Polishuk encourages potential program enrollees to attend the first session, but said they would accept late registration.