2008 Woodie Awards
A high school drop out no more
Rutland individual find the inspiration in his children to go back to school
Matt Linden
Issue date: 3/21/07 Section: News
While walking home from class with a knapsack strapped to his back, the full-grown student joyfully waves to a fellow classmate.
A smile crosses his bearded face before he heads into his Rutland home, another completed hurdle in a long-awaited journey.
Twenty years ago, Dan Bakersfield decided to drop out of school without receiving a high school diploma.
Bakersfield, now 37, has returned to his old stomping grounds and is currently a full-time student at Rutland High School. After his 20-year hiatus from school, Bakersfield plans on finishing something he had started a long time ago.
"You obviously can't go back in time, but I am fortunate that we live in a world where a person can get another chance," he said. "This is my opportunity to show family and friends that I am serious about getting a diploma."
Twenty-year leave of absence
Before his departure from school, the Rutland native was a B-student who claims he had a knack for making his fellow classmates laugh.
"School was so much fun back then," Bakersfield said, with a grin as wide as a football field. "My teachers generally were nice to me, and I enjoyed being in that classroom setting with my friends."
In early October, 1986, his world would take an abrupt turn as his then-girlfriend, Julie Simmons, became pregnant. While Simmons chose to take night classes during her pregnancy, Bakersfield dropped out of school completely.
"I had to get myself a couple jobs in order to provide for my new family," he said. "We were short on money and finishing high school was, unfortunately, the least of my worries at the time."
Bakersfield was working many hours each day, whether he was helping customers at Toys R' Us or repairing cars at his friend's shop.
"I hated what I was doing and would have rather been at school, but what else was I supposed to do? We had a kid at a young age, and bills needed to be paid," he said, before shaking his head with a guilty look on his face.
A smile crosses his bearded face before he heads into his Rutland home, another completed hurdle in a long-awaited journey.
Twenty years ago, Dan Bakersfield decided to drop out of school without receiving a high school diploma.
Bakersfield, now 37, has returned to his old stomping grounds and is currently a full-time student at Rutland High School. After his 20-year hiatus from school, Bakersfield plans on finishing something he had started a long time ago.
"You obviously can't go back in time, but I am fortunate that we live in a world where a person can get another chance," he said. "This is my opportunity to show family and friends that I am serious about getting a diploma."
Twenty-year leave of absence
Before his departure from school, the Rutland native was a B-student who claims he had a knack for making his fellow classmates laugh.
"School was so much fun back then," Bakersfield said, with a grin as wide as a football field. "My teachers generally were nice to me, and I enjoyed being in that classroom setting with my friends."
In early October, 1986, his world would take an abrupt turn as his then-girlfriend, Julie Simmons, became pregnant. While Simmons chose to take night classes during her pregnancy, Bakersfield dropped out of school completely.
"I had to get myself a couple jobs in order to provide for my new family," he said. "We were short on money and finishing high school was, unfortunately, the least of my worries at the time."
Bakersfield was working many hours each day, whether he was helping customers at Toys R' Us or repairing cars at his friend's shop.
"I hated what I was doing and would have rather been at school, but what else was I supposed to do? We had a kid at a young age, and bills needed to be paid," he said, before shaking his head with a guilty look on his face.
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