City officials, health care providers and educators gathered Monday night in the Student Success Center at Allen County Community College to learn about the plight of people who never finished high school and about those who have lost longtime jobs forcing them to return to school in order to seek new employment.
There is a need for the Iola community to hear about the under-educated and unemployed and how it affects the entire family, said Julia Martin, director of adult education at ACCC.
The face of unemployment isn’t just the man who has lost his job. It is the single mother who is trying to support her family and the child who doesn’t know where his next meal is coming from, Martin said.
Unemployment breeds despair and depression among families. A child growing up in these families is more likely to repeat grades or drop out of school.
Though the greater number of people who come to the Student Success Center are seeking a General Education Development diploma, Martin said, an increasing number are those who have lost jobs and need to brush up on basic math, writing and reading comprehension skills.
“The adult education classes at ACCC have helped me get my life back in order after the closing of Haldex,” Tina Westerman told the group.
Westerman came to the college seeking help with her essay writing skills. She is a high school graduate who began college but dropped out after she married. She had been employed by Haldex for more than 20 years and believed she would be there until she retired. When the plant closed she was devastated.
“The classes at ACCC have helped me get back on my feet, and I am now looking to my future which is working as an occupational therapist,” Westerman said.
With the help of the adult education teachers, Westerman has been taking online classes. “If I keep my grade point average up I will be applying for scholarships to attend Ottawa University,” she said.
Several students talked about their triumphs through the Student Success Center. Many had dropped out of high school because at that time it wasn’t a “good fit” for them. Some had quit school to get married, raise a family only to find when the marriage ended they had no marketable skills. These students are now either GED graduates or about to complete the requirements for their diplomas.
“It sometimes takes a student more than one session to complete the requirements for a GED, but our students are dedicated, work hard and want to succeed in life,” Martin said.
THERE IS a 15 percent increase in enrollment in adult education classes at ACCC, compared to this time last year, Martin said.
Last May ACCC adult education graduated more students than Moran, Colony and Humboldt combined. Of those graduates, 68 percent earned scholarships to continue their education.
“I know many people wouldn’t believe it, but many of the students who will graduate from high schools this year couldn’t pass the GED requirements for a diploma. Our students are dedicated and will make excellent employees if given the opportunity,” Martin said.
