Jessalynn Purcell enrolled into the Bridge Program at Schenectady County Community College in June of 2003. As a result of participating in Bridge, an occupational-based program that provides comprehensive services such as one-on-one career and employment counseling, general education development and extensive case management services, Jessalyn expressed an interest in entering the US Army.

Coming into the program without a high school diploma, Jessalynn was enrolled into the Tier One GED class. The Tier GED Program works with students who are interested in joining certain branches of the U.S. Military, like Jessalyn.

Both Bridge and Tier One staff worked closely with Jessalynn over a two-month period in an effort to increase her academic skills in preparation for taking the New York State High School Equivalency exam. She succeeded in raising her testing scores exponentially and successfully obtained her GED diploma in July of 2003.

Consequently, Jessalynn has enrolled as a full-time student at SCCC. Since her long-term ambition is to join the U.S. Army, Bridge staff looks forward to helping her achieve this goal.