Shane Merrifield, of Lawrence, pictured in his east Lawrence glass blowing studio, will graduate with his GED today from the Adult Learning Center of Lawrence. The graduation will be at 7 p.m. at Free State High School. Merrifield decided to get his General Educational Development diploma to pursue a college degree in glass blowing.

For Shane Merrifield, high school was a time to chase girls and party. Studying was secondary, so the 32-year-old Topeka native dropped out during his sophomore year.

That was 1992.

But today, when he and 84 of his classmates, ages 16 to 50, receive their General Educational Development diplomas from the Adult Learning Center, Merrifield can move forward, past the demons that kept him, as he said, “living idly.”

“It definitely signifies that I stepped off the path I was on before, and I’m progressing towards something greater,” Merrifield said.

Linda McGuire, a facilitator at the Adult Learning Center, said many of the graduates realized they needed a GED to move forward in their careers.

“Some realize that the bare minimum isn’t enough anymore. You have to have a diploma,” she said.

Some students are going on to vocational or trade schools, McGuire said. Others will enroll at community colleges, and some students are using their GEDs to get ahead at work.

Miriam Torkzadeh, 19, dropped out of Free State High during her junior year in 2007. Frustration with call center jobs spurred her to enroll at the Adult Learning Center.

“I felt like I wasn’t going anywhere,” said Torkzadeh, who plans to enroll at Johnson County Community College. “I think this is definitely going to make my life better, because now that I have a GED, I can make more money, get an education and really make something of my life.”

She finished her coursework on Monday.

“I feel relieved. It’s a weight off my shoulders,” she said. “I can finally go to college and get my life started.”

Merrifield said the lack of a high school diploma never affected him until last year, when he applied for a job with a Lawrence company. Since he didn’t have a diploma, he didn’t get the job.

He began taking classes at the Adult Learning Center in January, and finished his coursework in March. He plans on taking courses at Johnson County Community College in the fall.

Along the way, he realized how much he enjoyed math and one day wants to pursue a master’s degree in mathematics.

But first he’ll follow his love of glassblowing. In October 2009, he hopes to enroll at Salem Community College in Carneys Point, N.J., in the country’s only scientific glass technology program. He plans to use that degree to create products for pharmaceutical research or the military.

The graduation ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. today at Free State High School.