When 17-year-old Tiffani Leedom enrolled in the General Educational Development diploma program in February, she wasn't alone.

Her mother, Dana Leedom, 36, had begun GED classes last year but had to stop for medical reasons. After she heard Tiffani's plans, Ms. Leedom said, she was motivated to return to earn her GED.

"She's the one that gave me the go-ahead to go on and do it," Ms. Leedom said. "I wouldn't have done it without Tiffani."

They attended classes and studied together.

Tiffani, who had dropped out of high school, said the self-paced program is helpful because it allows students to spend as much time as they need on different subjects.

"The classes weren't like school. You did the work yourself, at your own pace. If you needed help understanding something, you would just ask," she said.

The Leedoms also gave each other encouragement throughout the program, Ms. Leedom said.

According to GED instructor Leola Bouchard, a support system is important to a student's success.

"I think they need to have support from their family to go on, and from their teacher to know that they can do it," she said.

And it is interesting when a mother and daughter are students, she said.

"They try to outdo each other, have friendly competition," she said. "They are also more apt to finish and accomplish their goals."

On Saturday, Ms. Leedom and Tiffani graduated with GEDs from Adult Literacy at Augusta Technical College, and it is only the beginning for them.

Tiffani will be attending Georgia Military College in September. She plans to go into the medical field.

"That's all I ever wanted to do. I love helping people," she said.

Ms. Leedom hopes to pursue a career as a surgical technician and become an inspiration to other parents.

"If you want to have better things in life or want to contribute financially to your family, you have to further your education," she said.

Reach Nikasha Dicks at (706) 823-3336 or nikasha.dicks@augustachronicle.com.