While the main graduation focus will be on Vicksburg and Warren Central High Schools this week, Good Shepherd Community Center graduated their first student under a new director and test standards.

Darryn Scott walked into a room of family members, classmates and educators that were happy to see him receive his GED diploma Thursday. Scott has been regarded as a bright individual and fast learner.

Scott said it feels good to get his GED, and to be the first one to graduate under the new system and director. Scott had difficulties throughout public school and was in and out of trouble.

Scott described the differences between a traditional high school and Good Shepherd as challenging.

“It’s different because everything you do at a traditional high school is done in a year’s time,” Scott said.

Joyce Davis, Scott’s mother, felt like this was the best road to take for her son. Davis said that the peer pressure is not as intense as it was in public school. She has seen her son change for the better.

“It’s been a hard and long struggle, but it’s a blessing to see him graduate,” Davis said.

“He’s changed a whole lot,” Davis said. “He’s more mature and calmed down a lot.”

Davis praised her son’s teachers and said they have been a tremendous influence to him while he’s been at Good Shepherd.

Joycie Bright began teaching at Good Shepherd in January 2014 and after the former director resigned in July, Bright was asked to fill the position. She’s been the director since August.

“I’m especially proud because the new test is more rigorous than the old test,” Bright said.

Good Shepherd had to incorporate the Common Core Standards. According to their website, Common Core is a set of clear college-and career-ready standards for K-12 students in English, language arts and literacy and mathematics.

The standards are to ensure students graduating high school are prepared for introductory courses in two-or four-year college programs or entering the workforce.

Bright said the test is written on a 10th and 11th grade level. The students must be able to read at those levels too. The test is also computerized and requires no paper or pencil, so students must know how to use a computer.

Scott dropped out in the 11th grade but still remembered a lot of the material he learned while in high school.

He struggled most with social studies but overcame that with the help from his teachers, with some being retired from the Vicksburg Warren School District.

Bright said that writing the extended responses for social studies, after reading a passage and critically thinking about it, kept Scott from graduating the first time.

“Ordinarily the easiest courses to pass are science and social studies. Darryn passed math the very first time,” Bright said.

Scott finished three of the sections required to get his GED diploma back in December and only needed one class to graduate.

Scott feels as though Good Shepherd prepared him enough for life after graduation.

“It taught me life and social skills and how do to a lot of stuff in life,” Scott said.

After graduation Scott wants to go to college to become a diesel mechanic.