D'on Cook

Once I thought of myself as a failure, states D’on Cook. It seemed as if life couldn’t get any worse. I felt like I was following an endless routine of sorrow and doubt. I felt like I was losing my mind and wondered if I had a purpose, or was I just another number to the human race placed on this earth, or an extra gathered on the set of a movie.

In 2008, I became ill due to a physical impairment and ended up spending my junior year of high school at home. Since I missed so many days of school, I was advised that I must repeat the eleventh grade. That was not acceptable because I worked hard to maintain a 2.5 grade point average that year despite my attendance. I decided to withdraw and eventually enrolled in Dearborn YMCA’s Pathway To Employment Program so that I could obtain my General Education Diploma (G.E.D).

Since, attending Dearborn, I have been inspired physically and spiritually. I attained my G.E.D and learned about job readiness and career development skills. Thanks to the counselors at Dearborn YMCA, I plan to get an associates degree at Bishop State Community College and major in Electronics Engineering Technology.