People of PCPS Podcast: Karen Hagerty’s Career is Filled With Inspiring Stories of Nontraditional Students
When Karen Hagerty thinks back on her 18-year teaching career, there’s one student in particular who stands out: a man who served in the military, earned a college degree, and become an engineer — all without ever earning a high school diploma.
Late in life, after raising a family and retiring from a successful career, the man enrolled at East Area Adult School, where he earned his GED with the help of teacher Karen Hagerty.
“He kept photo albums with all the newspaper clippings of his accomplishments over the years. Clear at the beginning was a blank page,” Hagerty said.
“That first page was for his high school diploma. When he got it, he said, ‘Now, I feel like I’ve reached every goal I ever had in life.’”
Hagerty shares more stories of nontraditional students who’ve inspired her on the latest episode of People of PCPS, a podcast dedicated to telling the stories of the people who contribute so much to our organization.
You can watch the episode on YouTube or download it on Apple, Google, or Spotify. See polkschoolsfl.com/podcasts for more information.
People of PCPS is brought to you through the generous support of Joe Fisher’s office at MidState Educators Insurance. For more information, visit InsurePolk.com.
Know someone who has an interesting story to tell? Nominate them to be featured on People of PCPS. A nomination form can be found at polkschoolsfl.com/podcasts.