Gretchen Wilson on the Orange Carpet at the "42nd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards," Tuesday, May 15, 2007. Photo by David Vespie.
May 24, 2007 — Gretchen Wilson, who dropped out of school at 15 after completing only the eighth grade, has been studying for the GED and hopes to take the test by the end of the summer.
Gretchen tells People magazine that she's pursuing her high school equivalency certificate because she feels she's missing some basic knowledge and wants to fill the gaps. "All my life, I just felt that I should have finished my education. I felt like I was missing something — that there was stuff other people know that I don't. And I want to know it, even if I don't need it."
Gretchen also notes that as her 6-year-old daughter Grace's school work gets more complex, she wants to be able to help her with her homework. "When she gets to that point and has trouble with algebra, I want to be able to say, 'Let Mommy help you.' I don't want to be ignorant in my daughter's eyes."