Wammack blazing through hurdles, ready to cross finish line

by Michael H. Miller

BOONEVILLE, Miss. -- (08/28/2024) — Northeast Mississippi Community College third-semester student Dayton Wammack of Ripley wants to be a teacher and football coach.

However, he may want to look at tackling the role of track coach with the amount of hurdles he has had to leap over.

Wammack, who will enter his third semester at the Booneville-based college in the fall, is a success story for not giving up on his first chance at earning an education and powering through to make sure that he had the best possible future that he could have.

Wammack's journey at Northeast began in 2015 when he first enrolled in the Adult Education program.

Wammack successfully passed three out of four parts of the GED/High School Equivalency (HSE) exam but faced a significant challenge with the language arts section due to his dyslexia.

This hurdle led to a seven-year pause in his educational pursuits.

"I just kind of let it go. I was getting job opportunities and thought, 'I don't need the GED,'" Wammack said. "But in 2022, I realized, 'I need to finish. I need to do this because I need to move on with my life and start chasing the dream that I have.'"

With renewed determination, Wammack re-enrolled in the Northeast Adult Education program and, with the unwavering support of his instructors, successfully completed his GED in Spring 2023.

Now entering his third semester at Northeast, Wammack is pursuing his dream of becoming a teacher and football coach.

Wammack's desire to become an educator and coach is deeply rooted in his personal experiences.

Having struggled with dyslexia himself, the Northeast student understands the challenges that all students can face, whether it be high school, college or even elementary and middle school. The battle with dyslexia does not affect just one facet of an education and Wammack has found ways to hurdle over each obstacle.

Wammack credits his success to the supportive teachers he encountered during his schooling and his aunt, a special-education teacher who provided invaluable assistance.

Wammack is driven by a commitment to help others overcome obstacles and achieve their aspirations, just as he has done.

Northeast's Adult Education did its part in making sure that Wammack was ready for his race to the finish line.

Wammack credits the crucial role played by Northeast Adult Education staff Cassandra Evans, Nikki Spears, Jacklyn Meeks, Dr. Shawn Davis and Beth Ward for helping him achieve his goals.

Wammack said that without their dedication and encouragement he would not be near the finish line today.

Evans serves as the WIOA Youth Gateway Coordinator while Spears is an Adult Education Academic Assistant. Meeks is a Smart Start instructor, Davis is an Adult Education/Gateway/Media Specialist located in Ripley and Ward is an Adult Education Academic Assistant at the college.

In addition to the support from his instructors, Wammack benefited immensely from his personal support system, which included his mother, pastor, sister-in-law's father, stepmother, and father who all gave him words of guidance in his own personal race.

Most of them had earned their GEDs, and their encouragement motivated Wammack to complete his own 110-meter hurdle event.

"Unity is very important," Wammack said. "We're better together."

Wammack defines success as continuous improvement and the achievement of personal goals. The Corinth native aspires to look back on his race with pride, knowing that he became better than he was when he started and accomplished what he set out to do.

For those contemplating enrolling in adult education programs, Wammack offers a message of encouragement.

"A lot of people say GED stands for 'Good Enough Diploma'," Wammack said. "I define it as "Gradually Exceeding Doubt."

Wammack has exceeded all doubt in his race to a college education.

Despite his dyslexia, Wammack was able to take those first steps to earning his college diploma and through the support and dedication of his instructors and family, the finish line is in sight.

For more information about the Adult Education program at Northeast Mississippi Community College, contact Megan Hargett at 662-720-7184.

Editor's Note: Northeast Mississippi Community College Adult Education College & Career Navigator Charlie Smart contributed to this story.

--NEMCC--

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