A Sacramento man who believed for a long time that he graduated from high school, but then learned that he was actually short on credits, has now completed the requirements and landed his dream job.
According to The Appeal Democrat, Wayne Osborne attended high school in Yuba City, California and spent nearly 30 years of his life believing that he was a high school graduate.
Osborne entered the workforce without being required to present his diploma to employers. When Osborne began applying for his dream of working for PG&E, he learned that he never officially graduated from high school.
“I went back to Albert Powell to get a copy of my transcripts and diploma, and they said, ‘Oh there was a mix-up. For some reason, we thought you graduated, but you still needed so many credits,” Osborne told The Appeal Democrat.
Needing 81 credits to earn his diploma, Osborne enrolled at Sutter County Adult Education in 2020 and took general education classes while also raising his daughter in the midst of the pandemic. At the same time, he was working as a truck driver and construction worker.
After completing the courses, Osborne once again applied to work at PG&E and landed an interview. Now, he is working in traffic control with the electric company.
“When I say that I almost lost it, I had to pinch myself because it was like I was out of, like, an out of body experience. I was like, oh wow! This is really happening,” Osborne told CBS Sacramento as he reflected on the feeling of landing his dream job.
Still, Osborne has his eyes set on even bigger goals.
“Maybe one day, even be a CEO. You know, sky is the limit,” he said.