THPL – is not a one size fits all – yes, it is all about Life, Learning and Fitness. And yes it is about high performance. But what I was reminded of today, is that THPL is all about personal choice. It is making the explicit decision to live in a way of your choosing, regardless of circumstance, whereby you spend time, effort and energy to make yourself better. Today I met a young lady who meets every criterion we could have for a member of the THPL community. I spent the day with De Janiera Thomas (and her family and friends). She is a recent Penn Foster graduate who received her associate’s degree in early childhood education and she was the winner of our 2013 Graduation Party Contest. As I came to know, from her essay, and meeting her, she overcame a personal battle with poverty, a series of significant familial challenges and having to take on child care responsibilities at a young age. In spite of these challenges she worked diligently over four years, independently, on her education, to live her version of THPL – loving Life and Learning.

When you talk to De Janiera you realize she is truly an amazing person. She is a humble role model for students for learning everywhere. She persevered, when all should have been lost, she studied while working and caring for family and for years on end she stayed committed to her goal of graduating with an Associate’s Degree. She knew it was worth it but I am not sure, that till today, when everyone came to celebrate her, that it would actually be life alerting. And it was for her. We know for certain that THPL is a journey and not a moment nor a destination. It is a way of life and De Janiera has hand crated her version and for certain, she is onto an amazing future as the best is yet to come. To quote her “I look forward to inspiring the same love of learning in the people I know and the students I teach that Penn Foster inspired in me.” The THPL in living color. What could be better?

Loving life and happy to have a new member of THPL

Ciao

Joe