Hanceville, AL — From July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, Wallace State’s Adult Education program celebrated a milestone achievement by serving over 1,000 students and awarding over 350 individual certifications and degrees. This includes non-traditional high school diploma and General Educational Development test (GED) graduates, short-term certifications through the Alabama Skills for Success program and completers of the Alabama Career Essentials (ACE) program, marking a significant contribution to the educational and professional development of the community.

Wallace State’s Adult Education program has experienced a significant increase in enrollment levels and completion rates. The past year saw the highest enrollment in the program’s history, surpassing the next highest enrollment year in the last decade by 50 students. Additionally, the program celebrated 54 GED completions, more than any of the previous five years. This growth underscores the program's expanding reach and impact within the community.

The Adult Education program at Wallace State Community College is a nonprofit initiative dedicated to assisting individuals who have discontinued public education or did not receive a high school diploma. The program also caters to adults needing to improve academic skills for employment or college enrollment. With classes offered free of charge on the Wallace State campus and at affiliated sites throughout Cullman, Blount, Morgan and Winston counties, the program ensures accessible education for all.

Patti Wilkins, Director of Wallace State’s Adult Education program, emphasized the comprehensive support provided to students. She described how the program addresses various needs to help individuals succeed.

“We serve a variety of demographics, including students who dropped out of high school due to difficult circumstances at home. We help individuals get their GED and teach English as a second language. We also provide short-term skills training, such as bulldozer and excavator operator certifications, and food and beverage certifications for those aiming to become restaurant managers. All of our services are offered at no cost. For programs like our bulldozer and skid steer classes, we cover the cost of required items like boots if individuals cannot afford them. In our CDL program, we help pay for permits and required drug testing fees for those who can't afford them,” said Wilkins.

Wilkins shared that with a strong commitment to removing obstacles, the Adult Education program's impact has been significant, reaching record numbers and helping change lives in the process.

“Our goal is to remove barriers so individuals can get the training they need to secure better jobs and succeed in society. This year, we've served over 1,000 students, breaking our five-year record. Many of these students have completed Skills for Success courses, and about 90 percent of those students now have jobs. We are helping students who previously lacked the necessary skills to become employable, and our goal is to increase these numbers again this coming year. We also had the highest number of GEDs in many years, with 54 students receiving their GEDs during this program year. This means 54 individuals can now pursue better jobs, further training or college programs that were previously inaccessible without a GED,” said Wilkins.

The Adult Education program provides various educational opportunities, including GED courses and GED practice testing. The program offers an initiative called GED 4 Me! that allows students who are considering the pursuit of their GED a chance to explore the material and practice taking the test.

Additionally, through a partnership with the Alabama Community College System and the Alabama State Department of Education, the non-traditional High School Diploma Option (HSDO) is available for individuals 19 years and older through the Adult Education program. There are two options for the HSDO. An option for adults who attended an Alabama high school and earned enough credits to graduate but did not pass the high school graduation exam, and an option for adults who earned 10 or more credits from an Alabama high school but still require additional credits for high school completion. Upon completion of the HSDO, students receive a high school diploma from the last Alabama high school they attended, opening doors to further education and better job prospects.

The Alabama Career Essentials (ACE) program is also offered through Wallace State’s Adult Education program. Designed by the Alabama Community College System, ACE aims to equip current and future workers with essential 21st-century skills. These skills include computer literacy, employment preparation, workplace safety, financial literacy and effective communication. The free and self-paced training course provides industry-driven employability skills, enabling participants to earn certifications such as ACT’s National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC), Mobilizing Alabama Pathways Certificate (MAP), Alabama Certified Employee Certificate (ACE) and free enrollment within a college course up to four credit hours.

Recognizing the diverse needs of the community, Wallace State’s Adult Education program offers free English as a Second Language (ESL) courses at three locations: Wallace State’s Hanceville Campus, Wallace State’s Oneonta Campus and the Link of Cullman. These free courses help non-native English speakers improve their language skills, facilitating better integration into the community and workforce.

John Barnett is the ESL Coordinator for the Adult Education program. After years of teaching K-12, he began working with the Adult Education program at Wallace State in 2020. He said the program helps a variety of people in the community learn the fundamentals of the English language.

“The Adult Education Program impacts our community by assisting people who did not complete high school, were homeschooled through a program that Alabama does not recognize, or individuals who want to improve their English language to have opportunities for better jobs. I would also like to add that we take individuals under our wing who might not fit society's definition of ‘refined.’ This career field is more of a calling than a job, and it is very encouraging,” said Barnett. “We are here to help prepare people for the workforce and college. I have the opportunity to help people who would otherwise be looked over by their English proficiency or educational background and help them become woven into our societal fabric with dignity and respect.”

The Adult Education program also partners with a variety of industrial companies, faith-based ministries and other community nonprofit organizations to provide greater access to education for individuals who are looking to obtain their GED, high school diploma, career readiness certifications or are interested in learning the English language.

Vikki Leggett is an ESL and GED instructor in the Adult Education program who instructs classes at The Link of Cullman and with employees at Topre America. She said the collaboration between Topre and Wallace State Community College has been helpful in providing accessible education to workers.

“The reason that Topre and Wallace State came together was to offer ESL classes to individuals after work. The employees work hard 12 hours a day and then they come to a three-hour ESL class twice a week. It is exciting to see their progress and how much they dedicate their time and efforts to this goal. Many of the people in that class studied English, but they find that the English they learned in their home country differs significantly from how we speak in Cullman,” said Leggett. “We focus on helping them enhance their vocabulary and providing opportunities to practice speaking. These students are incredibly inspiring. When we first started in September, they took the TABE Complete Language Assessment System test. Every 40 hours in class, they take this test to measure their growth in English knowledge, and over the past year, all these students have gone on to become advanced English language learners with a score of 550 or higher.”

Leggett shared that one student in the class at Topre, Jose Luis Jimenez Hernandez, passed all four GED test sections in English, which is the first time someone in the Adult Education program at Wallace State has passed the GED in a non-native language. Following this achievement, the rest of the class has set the goal to pass the GED in English by May so they can all walk at the Adult Education Graduation ceremony.

“Some of these students are engineers and are attending college, so they are very intelligent, but taking the GED in English presents a significant challenge as it tests a wide range of skills. Jose Luis Jimenez Hernandez completed all four sections in English. Mrs. Patti Wilkins, who has been director of the Adult Education program since 2012, said that to her knowledge, he is the first second-language learner to pass the GED in English. Our goal is to have all of them pass their GED by May so they can walk at graduation. We have set some significant personal goals, and Hernández achieving that first milestone proves that it can be done. Now, we will continue to work diligently to ensure that all of them reach their goal by May,” said Leggett. “I really love the students. I love hearing everyone's story, getting to be a part of their journey and seeing the excitement on their faces when they pass the GED. I enjoy being able to encourage them when it gets tough, especially when they feel like giving up. Seeing how hard people work and their excitement when they get their GED or advance in ESL classes makes me feel great about the work we do in adult education,” said Leggett.

Wilkins said she enjoys all the work that the Adult Education program does each year, but her favorite part is watching students receive honors at the annual graduation ceremony in May.

“I would have to say the GED graduation is probably my favorite moment every year. We recognize students who have earned work skills certificates and honor those who have obtained their GED or high school diploma. The excitement on their faces, the smiles, the tears and the cheers from their family members in the stands make it a truly special occasion,” said Wilkins.

In addition to GED, non-traditional high school diploma, ESL and career readiness courses, the Adult Education program works alongside the Wallace State Center for Career and Workforce Development to offer short-term bootcamps with certifications in a variety of fields. Some of the course offerings provided throughout the year include phlebotomy technician, skid steer operator, bulldozer operator, welding and fiber optics technician. These courses are offered on Wallace State’s main campus in Hanceville and at the Wallace State Workforce Training Center located on the campus of Rehau in Cullman. Anyone eighteen years or older is eligible to participate in these bootcamps.

Wallace State’s Adult Education program continues to be a beacon of hope and opportunity for individuals in the community, empowering them to achieve their educational and professional goals. By offering accessible and comprehensive instructional resources, the program not only enhances student lives but also strengthens the workforce and community at large.

For more information about the Adult Education program at Wallace State, visit https://www.wallacestate.edu/programs/adult-education/, call 256.352.7429 or email patti.wilkins@wallacestate.edu.

Registration for Fall 2024 classes at Wallace State Community College is underway, with regular and Mini Term I classes beginning Aug. 19. Flex Start terms begin Aug. 26 and Sept. 2. Mini Term II classes will begin Oct. 16. For more information, visit www.wallacestate.edu, call 256.352.8000 or come by Lion Central in the lobby of the James C. Bailey Center Monday-Wednesday 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or Friday 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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Wallace State Community College (Ala.), a member of the Alabama Community College System, is a comprehensive community college in north central Alabama offering more than 200 options in academic, health and technical programs of study leading to an associate degree, certificate or transfer, as well as workforce-credit training and adult education. An Achieving the Dream Leader College, nationally recognized by the Aspen Institute as a finalist for the 2025 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, ranked by Southern Business and Development among the Top 3 institutions in the South for workforce development, named a Center of Excellence by the National League for Nursing and the National Security Administration, rated the Top Online Community College in Alabama, a Military Friendly Institution and an All-Steinway School, Wallace State is an outstanding place for students to pursue their education and career goals. Classes are offered online and on campus, day, evening and on weekends, with numerous start dates each year. Visit Wallace State’s beautiful main campus located on 300-acres in Hanceville, Ala., our satellite location in downtown Oneonta, Ala., find us online at www.wallacestate.edu, or call 256.352.8000.