http://www.medicaldaily.com/mark-wahlberg-earns-high-school-diploma-42-actor-helps-hs-teens-overcome-poverty-and-crime-through

Mark Wahlberg Earns High School Diploma At 42; Actor Helps HS Teens Overcome Poverty And Crime Through Education Programs

By Lizette Borreli | Sep 17, 2013 01:34 PM EDT

Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg has earned his high school diploma at age 42. The two-time Academy Award nominee, worth over $200 million, had a long and difficult journey to attain his high school General Education Development (GED) diploma. Wahlberg dropped out of school in the ninth grade after he was charged with attempted murder, Yahoo! Finance reports.

"It's also a huge sense of relief. I wondered, 'Why didn't I do it when I was there?' It's so much harder at 41 going back and trying to do all these difficult tasks," Wahlberg told People magazine on Monday at an event in in Irvine, Calif., for the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens, during which he presented scholarships to select Taco Bell employees.

During his teen years, Wahlberg was part of a Boston gang that led him to a life of crime with street fighting, stealing cars, drug dealing, and even an attempted murder charge. At the age of 16, the actor attacked two Vietnamese men without any provocation, attacking the first man with a stick and punching the second, according to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Superior Court official record.

<snip>

The married actor and father of four has partnered up with organizations like the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens to make a difference in the lives of high school teens who need help overcoming life’s obstacles. The Taco Bell Graduate for Más program provides tools, support, and a community that can steer these kids in the right direction.

<snip>