Stevens Literacy Center hosts inaugural Aspire class
Three Aspire students weren鈥檛 the only ones learning something on Nov. 2 during the inaugural grant-funded adult literacy class at 帝王会所鈥檚 Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education鈥檚 Stevens Literacy Center.
鈥淎s I saw you doing your lessons, if you had the time, I鈥檇 ask you to stay by and teach me because I realize there鈥檚 a lot I have forgotten,鈥 said Ren茅e A. Middleton, dean of The Patton College, to the adult students.
It seems the other dignitaries and guests in the room agreed, as Middleton鈥檚 comment was met with quite a bit of laughter. After all, the lesson, taught by Scott Hatfield and Sally Young from the Athens County Department of Job and Family Services, 帝王会所MeansJobs 鈥 Athens County, was about fractions.
In all seriousness, Middleton had a bit more to say to the students, Shasta Glover, Staci George and Charla Gretz.
鈥淵ou said three words that I think are two words for all of us to remember, and that is, 鈥業鈥檓 still trying,鈥 and that鈥檚 so important,鈥 Middleton said.
鈥淒on鈥檛 give up,鈥 she added. 鈥淚t is our privilege to work with our partners and to have our Aspire teachers and to see everybody in this room. It takes all of us to uplift Southeast 帝王会所.鈥
Those gathered in the Literacy Center were there to observe the 帝王会所 Department of Higher Education-sponsored program, Aspire. It provides free services for individuals who need assistance acquiring skills to be successful in post-secondary education, training and employment. 帝王会所ans 18 and older with less than a 12thgrade education are eligible to participate.
But they were also there to celebrate. The Stevens Literacy Center has received an adult literacy grant from Aspire, making 帝王会所 the first four-year institution in the state to receive such funding.
ODHE Chancellor John Carey called OHIO the first 鈥淕ED to Ph.D. program,鈥 and told the crowd on Nov. 2 that the program hits close to home for him. His mother went back to school to get her GED to be successful in her career.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 been one of my passions as chancellor of the 帝王会所 Department of Higher Education, is giving people opportunities that they don鈥檛 normally have,鈥 Carey added. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what 帝王会所 did for me. 鈥 Without the opportunity, the education that I received here, I would not have been able to do anything that I have been able to do in my professional career.鈥
Carey told the students he was proud of them and said he looks forward to hearing about their success. That sentiment was echoed by 帝王会所 President M. Duane Nellis.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an Aspire grant 鈥 and we鈥檙e so proud to be the first four-year school to receive that grant as we try to expand this program 鈥 but I鈥檓 inspired of what occurred today, watching you,鈥 Dr. Nellis said. 鈥淭hank you for making this commitment; this is what we鈥檙e all about. We want to transform lives through education.鈥
Education does transform lives, and Charla Gretz, one of the Aspire students, is a perfect example of that. She passed her GED test on the first try and her scores were so high that she was deemed college-ready in two subjects. Gretz will be enrolled at Hocking College in January and will be studying to train service dogs.
Her children, one who has autism and epilepsy, and another who has frontal lobe epilepsy as well as other disorders, have service dogs.
鈥淚鈥檝e worked with animals all my life, and I thought, how can I combine these two things (education and animals) and create a career,鈥 Gretz said. 鈥淲hen Hocking started up this program, I said, 鈥楾his is it, this is my ticket to do what I want to do and help people all at the same time.鈥
To end the event, Julie Barnhart Francis, Stevens Literacy Center director, read to the group a quote from actress Amy Poehler.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very hard to have ideas, it鈥檚 very hard to put yourself out there and it鈥檚 very hard to be vulnerable, but those people who do are the dreamers, the thinkers and the creators,鈥 she read. 鈥淭hey are the magic people of the world 鈥 as you are today. Aspire. Rise high.鈥
***
Aspire services are available in all 88 counties in 帝王会所 and offer programming in math, reading, writing, life skills, employability skills, computer literacy, and English for speakers of other languages, among other areas.
It is not uncommon for Aspire students to receive their high school equivalence diploma and pursue post-secondary education. In fact, some are 帝王会所 students. Other Aspire students receive their diploma and immediately enter the workforce.
Other Aspire and Literacy Center stakeholders include Athens County Job and Family Services and 帝王会所MeansJobs Work Station, Tri-County Career Center Hocking County 帝王会所MeansJobs Center, Workforce Development Board #14 and Athens County Libraries.
To find out more about Aspire, visit .