Indiana Adult Education Success Story Archives
Basic Skills. High School Equivalency. Short-term Training. Certifications and More.
Success Story: Christy and Billy Greene
Christy Greene’s formal education ended in the 7th grade and Billy dropped out of high school in the 10th grade. They are parents of two young sons, and both wanted to obtain their HSE. Christy attended classes at the LaPorte County Career and Technical Education Center first so that Billy could watch their kids. They then reversed roles and Billy began classes while he worked nights. Both earned HSEs last year.
Christy is now employed with Michigan City Area Schools as an instructional assistant in the adult education program and plans to enroll in the parapro IET. Billy is a grocery store manager and was appointed by the Mayor to the Michigan City Historic Review Board. He has aspirations to become involved in politics at a local level.
Success Story: Larry Taylor
Larry Taylor figured he could make more money by being self-employed doing home and yard maintenance than most people he knew working regular retail or restaurant jobs. So why not be his own boss?
But ultimately, there came a time when he realized he needed to improve himself and earn his high school equivalency. “Since getting my HSE, I have found a job that has the benefits my family needs and with my success at Blue River (Career Center), I have gained the confidence to run for a supervisor position,” Taylor said.
Success Story: Hannah Silverthorn
After a horrible 9 ½-hour shift at 4 a.m. working in fast food, Silverthorn realized she needed to get out and grow up, so she started looking for other jobs. Without a high school diploma, however, she didn’t have many options.
“Thinking the military accepted dropouts (nope), I tried to enlist only to find out I needed a high school diploma or equivalent, so my hunt began for classes,” Silverthorn said.
She landed in Versailles taking adult education classes with River Valley Resources. With her HSE, Silverthorn now plans to enlist in a branch of the military and become a police officer.
Success Story: Jayana Wolak
Before coming to the Hobart Adult Learning Center, Jayana Wolak was holding down a minimum wage job as she provided for her children. A single mother to a toddler with a baby on the way, she was feeling stuck.
Wolak knew in order to have better options, she would need to finish her education. In two months, Wolak completed every packet given to her and studied online at the library when the center wasn’t open. She finished her ParaPro certification completed her HSE. Wolak is now working full-time to continue providing for her children as she continues her path towards a teaching career.
Success Story: Mayra Lopez
After moving to the United States from Mexico, Mayra Fernanda Jimenez Lopez had a vision to begin a new chapter in her life.
Lopez began that new chapter by enrolling in English Language Learner (ELL) classes through the Hammond adult education program. Once her English skills improved, she was encouraged by her husband to pursue an education.
One month after attending HSE preparation classes, Lopez was ready to take the test, and she passed. She plans to continue her education by going to college and getting a job.
Success Story: Nathan Shook
A few years ago, South Bend resident Nathan Shook was participating in the Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) program but dropped out to take online classes. He never completed his studies.
Then, while watching the movie “Good Will Hunting” he became inspired. That same day, Nathan called his former JAG teacher, who connected him to WorkOne. He started HSE classes with South Bend adult education and passed the TASC test in about four weeks.
At this point, Nathan started thinking again about a career. When he was in JAG, his teacher encouraged him to find a job using his speaking skills and his love of helping people. He chose real estate because he liked creating business plans.
A career coach arranged a meeting at Polack Realty, where he started an internship. Owner Jocelyn Polack told him that if he completed the internship and agreed to work for her afterward, she would cover his costs for real estate school. Nathan was thrilled.
“The internship is my favorite place to go every day,” Nathan said. “I get bored easily, but real estate is different every day. You are going different places; you talk to different people; you can’t sell the same way twice.”
Success Story: Michaela Houseman
“I was very proud, because I was doing so well on my journey to becoming a certified medical assistant (until) the campus director called and told me they had to drop me because my diploma was . . . fake,” Micahela said. "I was devastated. But I picked myself up and made an appointment at WorkOne, where I was told about a program that would pay for me to get my HSE diploma"
“I went to classes every day. I made myself physically sick from being so nervous. But I somehow managed to pass everything on my first attempt. I wouldn’t have been able to pay for the tests on my own. Because of the program, now I can go back and get my medical assistant certification," said Michaela.
Success Story: Alex Roy
Alex Roy, 25, of Evansville, says he “didn’t have his head on straight” in high school, getting expelled from multiple schools. “I knew earning my high school diploma was a milestone that needed to be reached in order for me to further any goals that I had of moving forward in my life,” he said.
“It was a really tough decision for me because I felt like I had been out of school for so long, and that there was no way I could come back and pass this test. But Lord willing, I came through and passed it within four weeks.”
Alex did more than that. He also boasted the highest TASC score earned by a Vincennes University adult education graduate that year.
Roy is headed to seminary school, where he hopes to grow in his faith and hold a life-long position in ministry.
Success Story: Khadijah Shabazz
Khadijah has been in the program for only four months. Her hard work has paid off. She passed the HSE Readiness Test and was set to take the HSE exam late last month. She says that being in the program has made her a better mom. The Beacon's multi-purpose space allows for classes to be just down the hall from the daycare room where her son is, allowing for daily guided parent-child activities.
Just as important, Khadijah's commitment to the program has allowed her to gain confidence in herself. The Family Literacy program incorporates a variety of life skill lessons throughout the week. Khadijah has intentionally applied these lessons to her day-to-day life. She states that she's improved in her budgeting, healthy eating, exercise, public speaking, and overall communication skills.
"I interact more with JoJo when I read to him now, asking him questions about what he sees. It's made me more interested in reading!", Khadijah said.
Success Story: Ronald Clark
Ron Clark’s dream is to become a sheriff, but not having a high school diploma was holding him back. He dropped out of Delta High School and held two jobs for many years just to survive. At age 33, Ron, of Hartford City, knew he needed more to continue to support his young family.
“I needed to better my life and get a career to help my family out,” recalls Ron, “and to show my kids that school is worth something.”
Ron worked diligently in class every night, and he even helped other students in class to stay on track,” says teacher Katey O’Connor.
Success Story: Emma Shrout
Emma Shrout was a pregnant teenager who dropped out of high school at the age of 17.
She became a single mother and started working to support her son. Waitressing full time paid $2.45 an hour plus tips, and she knew she was not going to make it if she didn’t improve her situation. She was able to pay her rent and childcare but was constantly juggling from one bill to the next. She decided she needed to make some changes and take control of her life.
She enrolled in high school equivalency (HSE) classes at Area 30 Adult Education and earned her HSE diploma. She was then eligible to apply for jobs that required a diploma, but she didn’t know what she wanted to do to earn a living and care for her son.
With the help of her instructors, she researched college and career pathways. Looking into the local job market and earnings helped Emma decide to enroll in a workforce certification course for Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machine Operators. The Area 30 adult course allowed Emma to work her full-time job while she took the class. Emma immediately began interviews and was hired as an entry level CNC Machine Operator at Dixie Chopper. Her new full-time position paid $14.50 per hour with a lot of overtime that paid $22 an hour. Her health insurance costs dropped from more than $150 a month to only $3 a week. When Dixie Chopper closed a few months later, she became a dislocated worker and was approved to take more CNC courses through Ivy Tech, this time utilizing TAA funds. Upon graduation, she had added six more NIMS certifications. Emma is now working as a CNC Machinist at GE Aviation and her income continues to rise in a high demand career.
Success Story: Lawrence Dean
Lawrence is a young person who felt lost and trapped on our streets. His life was going nowhere, and having nothing, Lawrence decided to make a change.
“I was depressed, uneducated, and homeless,” Lawrence said. “I decided to do something about my situation and I went to register with Marian University. The comfort and guidance that the teachers gave me allowed me to finish the program in two and a half months! I think that’s pretty amazing for me."
“You really don’t find places like this where the teachers sit down and care about you. Coming from Iowa and going to schools there and in Indianapolis, it seemed like they didn’t care. Here the teachers did care about me. They helped me move beyond the feeling of self-doubt that I had," said Lawrence.
“I (now) work for (a) landscaping (company) and have been there about nine months. I want to go into the cable installation field and already am searching for a career position. I have also achieved the BICSI (cable installation) and forklift certifications, which will help ensure that my next move will be my career move," Lawrence said.
Success Story: Ashley Howell
During her freshman year of high school, Ashley's world was turned upside down when her father died by suicide. Ashley stayed in high school through her junior year, but she struggled with depression and eventually dropped out.
“A few years later, I was married and staying at home with two small children,” Ashley recalled. “I always wanted to go back to school and get my HSE so that I could feel proud of myself. With both of my kids in school full-time, I finally had the time.”
When Ashley started attending Vincennes University Adult Education’s HSE classes in Tell City, she had been out of school for 13 years. She began studying, passed six weeks later, and got her HSE. Ashley then took classes through VU Adult education’s training program and received a certificate in Dental Assisting & Radiology. She is now working as a dental assistant and is making plans to study to become a dental hygienist.
Success Story: Dion Brown
After Dion lost his father, he admittedly “did some stupid stuff” at his job and got fired.
During this time, Dion’s mother also became sick and was diagnosed with a form of Alzheimer’s. It was a lot to handle for Dion, who mostly spent his days smoking marijuana to deal with the pain.
His sister encouraged him to get back on his feet and, in 2016, she registered him for a high school equivalency class. While taking the class, he was approached about participating in a culinary class being offered through Cultivate Culinary, a new South Bend community partner. A week after the class ended, he started cooking for employees at the Goodwill center where Cultivate Culinary is based, helping the chef to plan and prepare meals.
Dion is thrilled to be working with food again and to get the chance to watch people savor his cooking.
Success Story: Paul Powell
As a young man, paying rent, buying groceries and attending high school proved too much for Paul, so he quit.
He started working in construction and continued doing so for many years, but it was back-breaking work. Without health insurance, he began to self-medicate and became addicted to prescriptions drugs. Through perseverance and the support of his wife, he was able to recover from his addiction.
Twenty years after dropping out of high school, Paul earned his high school equivalency and commercial driver’s license (CDL) career certification, which led to a local truck-driving job.
Success Story: Margaret Mills
Margaret became the object of bullying during her middle school years because her family was poor and she didn’t have the best clothes or shoes. Her personality changed, she stopped reading and eventually quit school during her junior year.
She became pregnant at the age of 18, and her parents refused to help her raise her baby. Over the next 10 years, Margaret got married and had another child. But the marriage ended in divorce, she was fired from her job and ended up having to move in with her parents.
Margaret eventually earned her high school equivalency and enrolled in the Indy Reads program. She plans to become a certified medical assistant and wants to work at a family practice clinic.
Success Story: Bennett Young
Originally from Muncie, Bennett is a musician who fell on some hard times during his high school career and admits he was only interested in getting home to his guitar and recording equipment.
After quitting school but sticking to his dream for nearly 10 years of pursuing music, his father had a proposition for him. “He said he knew I had this dream of recording music in Memphis and basically told me he would pay for half of everything if I got my high school equivalency,” Bennett recalled.
He completed adult education classes at the Muncie Area Career Center and completed recording his first CD. Bennett is looking forward to a future with many more open doors ahead of him thanks to dedicated teachers and adult education.
Success Story: Teresa Huett
Teresa left Arsenal Technical High School to take care of her mom. In October 2017, she came to Marian University ABE “eager to learn, lead and succeed,” program leaders said.
Teresa’s determination and hard work paid off. She successfully completed two IET courses, one with certification, and is working on a third. She advanced her reading, writing and math levels and earned a high school equivalency.
She has big ambitions. “After I've completed the program my plan is to take the training I've received and move forward. In a few years, I plan on going to college to be a lawyer,” Teresa said.
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 Griffin
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.