By the time she was 9, Patria Brown had already recovered from 19 surgeries. Having been born with one leg and a congenital defect in her hands, she spent months in the hospital getting multiple surgeries as a young student. Books and learning were her escape. Despite all that she had been through by sixth grade, she was first chair in the school orchestra. In 9th grade, she joined the drama and debate clubs and dreamed of becoming a lawyer. She never imagined 9th grade would be her final year of high school. 

Life happened. She had to move, became a mother, and worked to support the many needs of her new family. She stopped dreaming about her future. Instead, she turned her attention to her children. 

“I was determined for my kids to understand the importance of finishing school. But telling them they had to finish when I didn’t often made me feel like a fraud. I would be around other parents and feel embarrassed. It was my dirty little secret,” Patria confessed. 

She tried to educate herself by reading while focusing on her children’s education. By 2022, Patria and her husband had successfully helped five kids graduate from high school and one from college. 

“At each of their graduations, I would envision myself walking across the stage and getting my diploma. I was dreaming again,” Patria revealed.

In August of 2022, she knew the time had come for her to pursue her dream of returning to school.

“I signed up for classes at Cobb County Adult Education,” Patria said. “While working with some of the most amazing teachers, I was able to obtain my GED in just eight months.”

In June 2023, with her family and friends in attendance, she walked across the stage as a graduate.

“Graduation was one of the happiest moments of my life,” Patria declared. “The months it took me to pass the four tests were not easy, but I understood what it meant to push through and keep going no matter how hard it got.”

Knowing Patria’s story of perseverance makes what came next even more impressive. 

The Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) recently named Patria the 2024 Adult Education Student of the Year.

A panel of judges from business and education selected Patria, who will receive a full scholarship to the technical college of her choice. In addition, her fees and books will be paid for through a stipend from the Brenda Wise Scholarship Fund, established in 2014 in memory of Brenda Wise, a lifelong supporter of adult education. 

“We are incredibly proud of Patria and all that she has accomplished,” said Dr. Ehsan Kattoula, Cobb Schools Assistant Superintendent. “Her remarkable success is a testament not only to her dedication to improving her life through education but also to the quality of education provided by the Cobb County Schools Adult Education Program staff.”

As an inspiration to others considering pursuing their own GED, Patria will travel the state over the coming year as Georgia’s Dinah Culbreath Wayne EAGLE ambassador for adult education. The Cobb graduate will speak to students, civic groups, legislators, and others about literacy and lifelong learning. 

“Through everything I had experienced in life, I learned that I can do anything I put my mind to,” declared the 2024 Adult Education Student of the Year. “Going back to school gave me the courage to dream and permission to move forward with my goals. Today, I’m not just a dropout, a wife, and a mom. I am a graduate. I am a wheelchair basketball athlete and future real estate broker. I am perseverance.”