Thornton Academy, Preparing Students for a Changing World Since 1811, Saco Maine

About

Scheduled Events

Keeping Informed

Staying In Touch

Thornton Academy
438 Main St.
Saco, Maine, 04072
(207) 282-3361

Alternative Diploma Program

A Dream Fulfilled

A new program at TA allowed Harry Pendleton '54 to finally receive his Thornton Academy diploma after 50 years.

In the fall of 1953, Harold Pendleton '54 was searching.

Searching for reasons, searching for direction, searching for purpose, Pendleton was adrift. He was a junior at Thornton Academy, but he wasn't happy. He wasn't really struggling with his school work, but life outside of school was calling and every day he was finding fewer and fewer reasons to get up and get himself to school.

"Academically, I was okay," said Pendleton, but tired of trying and convinced he didn't need to continue, Pendleton quit school. "I had no adequate means of transportation to school because the school buses were not available to high school students then," Pendleton recalled. "We either walked or hitch-hiked to and from Camp Ellis, where I lived. Back then, it was easier for me to run away and not face any confrontations, and I just didn't want to go to school any more."

As the years passed, it became an issue for Pendleton that he didn't have his TA diploma. He contacted Thornton Academy and, through a new TA program, was finally able to receive his Thornton Academy diploma and become an official alum from the Class of 1954.

Finding Direction
When he first left Thornton Academy that fall, Pendleton said he just hung around Saco for a while. "I went looking for a job, but couldn't find real employment of any kind," he said. He spent a few years in the National Guard and the Navy, and when he got out, a friend got Pendleton a job in a machine shop.

"I was selected by Royal Typewriter Company to become a Tool & Die Apprentice, which was a four-year course," Pendleton said. Married now with a sense of direction and a good career to put his energy into, Pendleton felt that he was finally on track. He enjoyed his work and was proud of his accomplishments, when his wife passed away suddenly, leaving him with four children ranging in age from 6 months to 8 years.

It was a situation that could have sent Pendleton spiraling back downward, but he refused to feel sorry for himself. "Life had to go on," he said. A few years later Pendleton met his current wife, Lorraine, and they went on to have five more children together.

Still Something Missing
"I've always wanted a diploma from Thornton ever since I dropped out of school," said Pendleton, "but time has a way of making it more and more impossible." Over the years, he became a member of and was on the speaker list of the Society of Carbide Engineers, obtained a Captains license from the United States Coast Guard, and completed several technical courses in Sweden and Germany.

"In the beginning, it didn't mean much to me not having finished high school," he admitted. "But as time went on and promotions were given to other people and not to me, the realization struck home. It took me a long time, but I know I could have achieved greater opportunities if I had furthered my education." So, in 2003, he also earned his GED from Pasco Hernando Community College in Florida. Still, he felt something was missing. "With all my achievements and satisfactions in my life, my one goal has been to obtain a high school diploma from Thornton Academy and become an alumnus," he wrote in a letter to Headmaster Carl J. Stasio Jr. in December of 2003.

A Second Chance Over the past year, Thornton Academy has developed criteria for those who would like to receive a Thornton Academy diploma.

"We hope that, by initiating a process for individuals to receive a TA diploma later in life, we can acknowledge and applaud their substantial life experiences and accomplishments in a meaningful way," said Headmaster Carl J. Stasio Jr.

The process to receive a TA diploma years after leaving school is centered around having a GED and life experiences. Just contact Admissions Director Susan Tarver at 282-3361, or e-mail her at susan.tarver@thornton.saco.org. Information is also posted on this page.

Pendleton received his Thornton Academy diploma this summer. For him, holding the diploma in his hand means the end of a long road. "The diploma makes me very proud and I can now say I graduated from Thornton Academy," he said. "I can tell other dropouts that it's never too late to get your high school diploma and hopefully encourage students to stay in school. It means that I have finally completed something I never thought I could do."