Indiana Adult Education

Basic Skills. High School Equivalency. Short-term Training. Certifications and More.

Success Story: Tabatha Stence

Tabatha Stence quit high school and never looked back. “It was not the smartest decision in my life, but we can’t go backward, only forward,” she admitted. “As the years went by I had three little mouths to feed which meant working to help support my family.”

Years turned into decades. “Before I knew it,” Tabatha said, “years had flown by, and I still had not gone back to school to achieve my diploma. I never thought it would be possible, and I gave up. I figured I had waited too long.”

Thanks to Turning Point Education Center in Bloomfield, Tabatha started classes with teacher Rena Ball. “She made it all easier for me to understand,” she said. “With this wonderful support, I was able to achieve my diploma.”

Success Story: Glendoris Anderson

Glendoris Anderson earned a high school equivalency diploma through Warren Township’s adult education program. She recently returned for career training. She attended classes to improve her Microsoft skills.

Glendoris was recently selected as a 2018 Rose Award Winner for her hard work and dedication in the service industry. Glendoris is responsible for greeting guests, providing assistance with directions, luggage handling, local information, and more. She has been mentioned over 600 times in Trip Advisor ratings in the last two years, and they consistently mention the caring and genuine welcome she delivers. Glendoris shared with other Warren Township young adults about her career encouraging them to pursue their education, show respect, and work hard in all aspects of life.

Success Story: Zachary Dietrich

Zachary Dietrich was diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD) at a young age. As a result of his diagnosis he struggled with his studies and never graduated from high school. Ten years ago he faced a difficult hardship in his life. He was involved in a motorcycle accident that left him with multiple broken bones.

It took Dietrich eight years to fully recover from the accident. Now, years later he wanted to get his High School Equivalency (HSE). Dietrich tried taking night classes in the past, but his work schedule made it harder for him to continue attending that he eventually stopped going.

Dietrich enrolled in classes at NEO in early September 2018 determined to do whatever it took to earn his HSE. He made all of it work with his studies to reach his end goal. His teacher, Teresa Kruse, worked with another teacher, Adrienne Carrol, to open both of their classrooms to Dietrich to provide him with advanced opportunities towards the HSE test.

Success Story: Oscar Smith

In 2008, at the age of 27, Oscar Griffin was shot in the face, leaving him completely blind. Oscar never learned braille, so he has totally relied on voice/conversation to function.

He was incarcerated in the Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC) in March of 2017. His teacher, Dawn Grage, said that Oscar was very persistent and never gave up. He overcame many obstacles within the correctional facility to achieve his HSE diploma.

“I stayed determined and focused. I never doubted myself and always believed. My momma always said to take the word ‘can’t’ out of your vocabulary. You can do anything if you put forth the effort and try,” Oscar said.

Oscar still has a few more years to serve in IDOC and will likely request to be admitted to one of the many vocational training programs.

Success Story: Li Hall

“I didn’t finish high school in China because it was very hard! I didn’t like my Chinese language and was not interested in school, so I was not motivated to study. When I came to the United States in 2010, I was interested in learning because I liked English. My husband told me not to ask to go to school here because he didn’t have money to pay tuition. Then, in 2014, I found an advertisement in the local newspaper about FREE adult basic education classes. I enrolled in class and my journey began.”

“First, I had to improve my English because it really hurt my feelings when my husband and other people said they could not understand me. My marriage was very difficult. After 4 years of study, I finally passed the TASC in May of 2018! I was given the opportunity to study for CNA certification as part of an IET class at C9. I finished the class and passed my skills test, but failed the written exam. Even so, I was hired as a caregiver for the elderly and worked as I studied for my retest – which I passed in the fall. Now I am working as a CNA for Rosegate. I am currently working toward QMA and Phlebotomy certifications and plan to work my way up to RN.”

Success Story: Jason Miller

Jason Miller began adult education classes at Impact Institute’s LaGrange class site in May 2016. Jason is a young Amish man who originally quit formal schooling after eighth grade to begin learning a family trade. Once Jason began ABE classes, he quickly realized that if he wanted to accomplish his goal of becoming an EMT, he would need to overcome some obstacles, not the least related to technology and academics.

“For me, the biggest challenge was probably learning just how to study. I haven’t been in school in five years, so things like vocabulary and studying were hard.”

Jason overcame these challenges and earned his HSE, and is well on his way to realizing his dream.