Ponca City Woman Beats The Odds

When I asked Joyce Norris about getting her GED she said she didn’t think she could do it.

"Its been so long since I have been in school, but I really didn’t think I could do it," Norris said.

Despite Norris’ reservation she passed with flying colors.

You could consider Norris a non-traditional GED student, since she is 76-years-young.

Norris has been a Ponca City resident for 59 years and her story is a love story everyone hopes for.

She dropped out of her small town high school in Burbank, Okla. to marry her soulmate.

"I regretted not finishing up, but when you are young and in love," Norris said.

It was her soulmate and their three children who encouraged her to take her GED test last month.

Her job at Teen Pep required she had a high school diploma or equilvant.

At Teen Pep Norris takes care of teen Mom’s children while the girls are in class.

The center allowed her to work as a substitute until she maintained her GED.

Norris had made a career out of childcare and said she plans to continue as long as she is physically able.

"I had a daycare at my home and to start out with it was for the money," Norris said. "Just a young couple starting out, my husband worked, just needed a little more money. I started taking care of children in my home and I did that for about 20 to 25 years."

After that she worked in two church daycares.

She also has seven grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

Norris is litterally surrounded by children.

"It’s my whole life," Norris said.

For Norris to earn her GED she studied during her lunch breaks at work and at home in the evenings.

She passed five tests and said the feels good abou it.

"I couldn’t have done it except for the help of the Lord," Norris said.