CORNELIUS – The Ausie Rivens Foundation recently announced that two students earned GED high school equivalent degrees through its evening GED program.

Eddie Aiken completed the required course work and has already enrolled in welding school, while Derrick Kerns also completed the required course work in three months by attending Saturday classes.

“We are so proud of Eddie and Derrick,” said Tonya Rivens, Ausie Rivens Foundation President. “By earning their degrees, they have created opportunities for themselves and their families that would otherwise have been unavailable.”

Based in the historic Smithville neighborhood, the GED program is a joint project of the Ausie Rivens Foundation and Central Piedmont Community College, with seed funding provided by The Peninsula Community Foundation. Classes are held each Tuesday and Friday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays, 9 to 11 a.m. Classes are free and open to people interested in earning a GED.