Bullying drove her out of school, but 40 years later she returns and graduates

Mary Smith dropped out of school when she was only in Grade 8.

Now, at the age of 55, the Cape Breton woman has earned a high school diploma andis graduating with top marks from the Nova Scotia Community College adult learning program.

"I proved to myself and the others who said I wasn't smart enough. Iam smart enough. You don't give up; you stick to it," she says."There were timesI wanted to give up but I didn't."

Smith says she left education behind early in life and got a job babysitting five children for $50 a week after she encountered horrendous bullying in school.

"My times in school were not the easiest," she said. "I dealt, a lot, withbullying in school and not feeling good. By the time I got to Grade 7and 8, I thought maybe the bullying would stop becauseyou're in a higher school but it didn't stop. I eventually ended upquitting."

Smith attended elementary school in Little Narrows, Cape Breton,and went toBaddeck for Grade 7 and 8. Bullying was not taken as seriously then as it is now, she says, and it made no difference when she reported the problem to school officials.

Driven from school

It wasn't only Smithwho sacrificed her education for peace of mind;her siblings also ended up dropping out of school to escape bullies.

"Our childhood wasn't the best either. We weren't dressed properly. Wewere definitelythe outcasts of the school," she reflected."I came from a familywhere there was a lot of alcohol involved. It was hard.

"We were leftout from a lot of things in our childhood. Our clothing wasn't up totop notch and even our cleanliness wasn't the best, so we were made funof and it just escalated from there."

'Had to prove it to myself'

But she enjoyed learning and always longedto go back to school.Afterher four children wereolder, Smithdecided to take the plunge andfinish her education.

One of her sons was having trouble inhigh school and she says she thoughtshe could show him school is important by going back herselftoget ahigh school diploma.

"They said to me, 'Mom I am proud of you. We know you can do it.'"

Lots of support

"Ialways felt I wasn't smart enough and they knew I had it in me; I just had to prove it to myself."

Smith, who now livesin Dundee,enrolled in theNova Scotia Community CollegeStrait Campus adult learning program, butafter two weeks back in the classroom, she saysshe began questioningherself.

She credits her husband, her instructors and the otherstudents in the class with providing her with the support she needed.

"One of the things that boosted me was one of the other students inthe class. He said, 'Wow, you're 55 and I'm 25 and you're in school. Iquit school and,' he said, 'that's why I'm back here.'

"He said, 'You knowwhat? If you're in school then I have to get this. If you're willingto work at it then I have to getthis.'Soit was nice, I felt like arole model for him."

Smith has graduatedwith marks highenough to get her name on the dean's list.

Butwhat she says makes the entire experience more special is thather daughter Rhonda Smith will be graduating with her after completing a continuing care program.