According to the Administration for Children and Families, research shows that involved fathers, whether living with or apart from their children, provide practical support in raising children and serve as models for their development. Children with involved, loving fathers are significantly more likely to do well in school, have healthy self-esteem, and exhibit empathy and pro-social behavior compared to children who have uninvolved fathers.
Kentucky father-daughter duo Robert and Rebecca Harrison highlight one way that this relationship can lead to success.
Every adult who goes back to school has a story of sacrifice — each is different, and deeply personal. Yet you’ll often find that behind them are family members who are ready to make sacrifices of their own to help those they love achieve their educational goals.
That’s the story of Rebecca Harrison — a young woman who dreamed for a better life for herself and her children — and her dad, Bob, a man who so loves his daughter that he hit the books 30 years after leaving high school.
“I knew Becky wanted to start college and I knew about the Marshall County Adult Learning Center and we started talking about it,” said Bob.
“I didn’t have my GED or high school diploma, and I thought it would be better if we did it together. And so I told her: We’ll start together, we’ll train together, and we’ll finish together. And we did.”
With the help of KET’s FastForward adult education learning system, the two Benton residents embarked on a journey that led Rebecca to enroll in college, and enabled Bob to keep his promise to his own mom that he would get his GED® credential.