Pinewood Park Learning Center Helps Resident Restore His Promising Future

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Lufkin, TX—When Travis Richards was eight years old, he and his four siblings were removed from their parents' custody, and adopted by another family. Growing up in his new adopted home, Richards excelled at sports and academics. At 16, he was a sponsored basketball player. At 17, he was offered football scholarships to several universities, including a full scholarship to the University of Utah. It seemed as though the future was bright for Richards…but appearances can be deceiving.

"Despite having a lot going for me and a promising future ahead of me, I let my childhood problems get the best of me," explained Richards. "I gave up on all the things I truly loved. I quit the football team, stopped playing basketball, and dropped out of school. I also did not have the heart to leave my siblings behind while I went off and played football. For 12 years, I worked dead-end job after dead-end job. I knew I was not living up to my potential and that something had to change. I did some soul searching to determine what I needed to do to get my life back on track. The answer was clear: Go back to school. The fact that the opportunity to take the first step in furthering my education was located right in my apartment community told me that it was the right path to take. A few weeks later, I met Eva Lynch, center director of the Pinewood Park Learning Center, and knew my life was going to change."

When Richards visited the Pinewood Park Learning Center to take advantage of its many resources, the timing could not have been better. Lynch was actively recruiting students for the center's newly revived General Educational Development (GED) exam preparation class. The center's original GED exam preparation class was cancelled in 1996 due to low resident participation levels. However, when Lynch accepted the position of center director in January 2008, one of her goals was to restart a GED exam preparation class at Pinewood Park Learning Center. After hearing Lynch's enthusiastic description of the class, Richards immediately enrolled.

A Class of Their Own

To offer a GED exam preparation class at the Pinewood Park Learning Center, Lynch teamed with nearby Angelina College, a public, comprehensive community college that offers associate's degrees and certificates in a variety of disciplines. For the class, which meets every Wednesday and Thursday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Angelina College provides the instructors and all of the course materials. Administrators at Angelina College also provided Lynch valuable guidance on establishing the class.

"There is no way I would have been able to set up the class without the help of Bob Quillin, director of adult education at Angelina College," said Lynch. "Bob helped organize the program and find our center the resources we needed to offer a GED exam preparation class. Bob also connected us with an amazing instructor, Becky Baer, who also works at Angelina College.

"With all of the class logistics finalized, Lynch turned her attention to promoting the class. "I vowed to do everything in my power to make sure this class did not get cancelled due to lack of participation," stated Lynch. "To enable more people to enroll in the class, I opened the class to residents and community members. I then promoted the class on a local television station's community events announcements, as well as with the Texas Department of Human Services and Texas Workforce Solutions, and in the local newspaper. For the first class, we had three people sign up. The class size has continuously increased, and we are now full with eight adults studying to take the GED exam."

Rather than have a set curriculum, Baer works with each student to evaluate where they are in their learning. She then works with each student one on one, helping them master the various sections of the GED exam. Once a student is ready to take the exam, Baer refers them to Angelina College, where they take the exam. If a resident is unable to pay the cost of the GED exam, the Lufkin Adult Learning Center, Inc., a local nonprofit organization, pays the test fee with funds provided by the United Way of Angelina County.

One Step Closer to a Dream

After six months of studying and preparing for the GED exam, Richards received high scores on the test and earned his GED, becoming the first resident to do so since the Pinewood Park Learning Center revived its GED class.

"I really owe a great deal of credit for my success to my instructor, Becky Baer," admitted Richards. "She displayed an amazing amount of patience as she helped me remember how to solve difficult math equations. Also, the fact that the class size was small meant that Ms. Baer could spend more one-on-one time with each student. That was a big factor in my success." Richards continued, "I will also never forget the supportive team at Angelina College's Adult Learning Center. Bob Quillin and his team showed great faith and belief in me, always expressing confidence that I will accomplish my goals."

In January 2009, Richards will leave his job at a poultry processing plant and become a full-time student at Angelina College, studying for a career in physical fitness and health sciences. Angelina College is offering him financial aid that makes it possible for him to attend full time and take care of his five-year-old son, Stephaun. The next phase of his education brings him one more step closer to attaining his ultimate goal of playing football at a four-year university. "I would love to play football in the NFL [National Football League], and eventually become a football coach," said Richards.

"I would also like to be a motivational speaker and share my story with others to inspire them to never give up on their dreams. I never lost sight of my dreams and aspirations. It was just a matter of waiting for that next big break in life, and that break came when I met Eva Lynch and all of the great people at Angelina College. If it was not for these individuals, I probably would not have given it a second try. It is never too late to change your life for the better."

For more information about Neighborhood Networks centers in Texas, contact:

Vernon Butler, Jr.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Fort Worth Multifamily
Hub 801 Cherry Street, Unit 45, Suite 2500
Fort Worth, TX 76102
(817) 978-5769

Mary Frances Byrd
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Houston Multifamily Program Center
1301 Fannin, Suite 2200
Houston, TX 77002
(713) 718-3174

Ray H. Carson
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Fort Worth Multifamily Hub
801 Cherry Street, Unit 45, Suite 2500
Fort Worth, TX 76102
(817) 978-5787 x3901

Sandi Z. Orta
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
San Antonio Multifamily Program Center
One Alamo Center 106
South St. Mary Street, Suite 405
San Antonio, TX 78205-3625
(210) 475-6800 x2200

Eleanor S. Peyton
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Houston Multifamily Program Center
1301 Fannin, Suite 2200
Houston, TX 77002
(713) 718-3165

For more information about the Pinewood Park Learning Center, contact:

Eva Lynch
Center Director
120 Kirksey Drive
Lufkin, TX 75904
(936) 632-6322