Rita Moseley, 57, Secretary

Moseley spent two years out of school before her Scout leader found a family in Blacksburg, Va., who would take in the shy 14-year-old.

She left behind her mother and younger brother.

"I think one of the saddest moments of my life still is when I actually saw my mother get in the car and leave me standing with strangers," Moseley said. "How she must have felt getting in that car and going back home without her only daughter."

Rita Moseley was forced to move away from home in order to receive an education when Farmville, Va., residents closed local schools to avoid integration. (Heather Wines | GNS)

Moseley lived in Blacksburg for two years before moving back to Farmville and earning her diploma from the newly reopened public high school.

Today, she is a secretary at the school and one of the organizers of an honorary graduation ceremony for county residents affected by the school closings.

"I've always been hurt about it," Moseley said of the school shutdown. "It's a scar that's been left on me that will be with me for the rest of my life."

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