She took her first practice GED test in jail.

After dropping out of high school as a senior, struggling to balance work, school and a new baby, Jennifer Aguayo lived off and on with friends and on the street.

It took jail, drug court and Seton House for Aguayo to become sober and regain custody of her 3-year-old son.

It took Vicky Crume, the homeless outreach coordinator, for her to finish her tests, earn her high school equivalency and start on the path toward college.

"Drug Court did it for me because I didn't have a choice," Aguayo said about finishing her GED. "And Vicky was there to keep pushing me to get it done, and I think if she wouldn't have been so supportive of us to get through it, I don't think I would have finished."

As a result, roughly three years after dropping out of high school, Aguayo walked in a cap-and-gown ceremony in May with other GED graduates.

Aguayo is one of the successes for the program that works with Casper's most transient population.

The program began about 14 years ago and is funded by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, which focuses on educating homeless children and teens. It is a collaboration between the University of Wyoming/Casper College, the Natrona County School District and Seton House.

Crume works primarily with homeless 16- to 20-year-olds who dropped out of school.

"The foremost decision is 'can you go back to school?'" she said.

Traveling between her small office on LifeSteps Campus, she also meets people at the various agencies in town that help the homeless population.

Every year brings successes. Some years, she has up to 10 graduates, others there may only be four.

She has no illusions of helping every homeless young person that comes through Casper. She knows some of them won't complete the program. "Life gets in the way," she said, since many have families and other obligations and crises.

But some, like Aguayo and 33-year-old Melanie Cantu, do make it through the program.

Cantu also dropped out of high school as a second year senior with three credit hours to completion. During the next 15 years, she floated in and out of jail, lived with friends and on the street and had three children. She then decided to rebuild her life.

She lived in Seton House, a long-term shelter for single parents, regained physical custody of two of her kids and finished her GED - due in large part to Crume's efforts.

"I guess I didn't think I could do it," she said. "I didn't think I had much of a future, besides waiting tables, because that is all I did with my life."

It wasn't a smooth road for Cantu. She missed her first graduation and was still nervous to take her exams, sure she would fail. Finally, Crume signed her up for the tests and told her to take them. She passed them all.

She now lives in an apartment of her own, has a steady job and a checking account with funds. Cantu has a steady job as a waitress and is finishing her second remedial class at Casper College.

"Next year I am going to take college-level classes. I am going to take English Composition 1, which is college level and will be going towards a degree."

She also plans to take crime and drugs, something she jokingly said she knows a lot about.

"I am sure I will pass that class with flying colors."

Cantu said she ultimately wants to be a probation officer, but her immediate goal is a bachelor's degree in social work.

A degree in social work will allow her to provide the kind of assistance that pulled her off of the streets and into the classroom.

Crume smiled when she talked about Cantu and Aguayo, but Crume said even the ones that don't make it through have made it a step.

Contact city reporter Christine Robinson at (307) 266-0639 or christine.robinson@trib.com