BUTLER TWP — Seventeen GED graduates were celebrated Thursday night in a ceremony at Butler County Community College. They are among 35 who graduated this year from BC3’s Adult Literacy Program, and 71 who graduated from Summit Academy, Herman.

The lobby of the Succop Theater, filled with GED graduates in caps and gowns, holding flowers and eating cake, looked like any other graduation party, but the students here included teenagers, mothers and middle-aged men.

For example, in the Philippines, Jane Macefe, 30, was a college graduate with an agricultural degree. In the U.S., however, her degree is not recognized and she’s beginning her education again.

“It’s very inspiring,” Macefe said of her achievement, adding that she would like to continue her education to become a nurse.

Kevin Patton, 51, works as a contract mail hauler for the U.S. Postal Service. He decided to earn his GED after cutbacks began.

“Basically, I’ve never had to fill out an application for a job,” he said.

He wants to be able to tell potential employers he has a GED.

Alaina Wideman, 19, decided to earn her GED after she found out she was pregnant with her son Matteus, who is 2 months old.

“I want to go back to college and do it soon so that I can be a good influence for my son,” Wideman said.

Twenty-seven-year-old Megan Erickson’s son also influenced her decision to earn her GED.

“We passed my high school in Ambridge and my son asked, ‘Is that the school you dropped out of?’” she said.

Erickson hopes to continue her education to become a social worker.

Jayron Dudley, 17, of McKeesport, passed his GED test the first time he took it. He wants to enroll in a community college in order to become a teacher.

Hector Lopez, 17, of Harrisburg wants to go back to school to become an auto mechanic, now that he’s earned his GED.

Matthew Nosal, 19, of Philadelphia felt proud of himself, he said.

“This is the first time I feel successful,” he said.

Nosal dropped out of school in the eighth grade. His friend, Diheem Wilson, 17, also of Philadelphia, left school after seventh grade.

“It’s a big relief,” Wilson said of earning his GED. “I never accomplished anything before.”

Both Nosal and Wilson plan to go to trade school.

Brian Ruggles, 48, of Chicora waited a year for the ceremony in order to participate. He hopes his degree will help him earn a welding certificate.

“We love to see people succeed,” said Deb McAllister, director of the college’s adult literacy program. “It’s awesome to celebrate with them.”

This is the fifth year for the ceremony, which is open to any Butler County resident who earned a GED in the previous year, McAllister said.

Speakers included GED graduates Aki Grier and Ron Johnston, who is featured in a recruiting film for BC3’s GED class along with his sister, Amanda Scheller, another graduate and speaker.

McAllister hopes to attract 70 of Butler County’s 10,000 people without high school diplomas to the next class, which begins Sept. 17. Classes are free.