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"Mark Wahlberg has confirmed that he has graduated from high school. The 42-year-old spoke about completing his studies in a blog on The Huffington Post titled &amp;#039;Winning My Toughest Role Yet: High School Grad&amp;#039;.  The Ted actor dropped out of school at the age of 14 and returned to education using an online programme. He explained: &amp;quot;I never made it past the ninth grade. My circumstances were not unlike millions of other teens today, who live in tough working class neighbourhoods surrounded by drugs, violence and crime, and who struggle to stay on the right path without positive influences. &amp;quot;Most high school dropouts don&amp;#039;t end up with successful careers in Hollywood. I was lucky. Compared with high school graduates, dropouts are more likely to be unemployed, in poor health, living in poverty or on public assistance. &amp;quot;I was fortunate to find out I could attend high school online. For almost a year, I&amp;#039;ve been taking classes and studying any chance I could get - on the set, traveling for work and at home.   &amp;quot;It has been both humbling and challenging, but I&amp;#039;m happy to report that I am officially a high school graduate, having received my diploma this summer. &amp;quot;I was able to do it because I knew I wasn&amp;#039;t alone, that other teens and adults were going through the same thing I was in balancing work and family in order to better themselves.  &amp;quot;To those students struggling every day and - most importantly - to those who are looking for a second chance, I have a message for you: never give up. Keep believing in yourselves and don&amp;#039;t make small plans. &amp;quot;If we don&amp;#039;t live by example, then what do we live by? I am proud to re-introduce myself to you today as: Mark Wahlberg - High School Graduating Class of 2013.&amp;quot; View all of today&amp;#039;s best celebrity pictures:  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/showbiz/news/a516369/mark-wahlberg-graduates-from-high-school-my-toughest-role-yet/>