The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
JVS Adult Career Center students achieve great success
It was a graduation complete Pomp and Circumstance as twenty-five Lorain County JVS Adult Career Center students gathered Wednesday to celebrate a great achievement and milestone; each one of them received their high school diploma and a career-technical industry certification.
The Ohio Adult Diploma Program (ADP) is free to adults who are over 22 years old, living in Ohio and do not have a diploma or a GED. Under the program, adult students earn an official high school diploma from the state of Ohio, and an approved industry credential in the program of their choice, from select programs offered at the JVS Adult Career Center.
Allison Ansel was 18 when she decided not to finish high school stating that the years just kept slipping away. “I tried going back a few times,” Ansel said, “but then life would just happen. I was married at the time and had three kids and always had an excuse. My dad would talk nonstop about me going back to school to get my GED, but something always got in the way.”
A life-altering event changed everything for Ansel. Her father passed away before seeing her receive a high school diploma. “A week after he was gone, I got a JVS booklet in the mail and I read about the Adult Diploma Program. I called that day and got signed up. It was a sign from my Dad,” shared Ansel in a written speech given during the graduation ceremony.
Kristin Smith, Lorain County JVS Adult Career Center Director, told the graduates that it is never too late to start something new. “You never know what is lying around the next corner of your life. It might be something that you never thought possible. You all have taken the next step on your journey, and who knows where this can lead.”
In just a few short months, Ansel is now a State Tested Nursing Assistant and has her diploma. “My plans are to start classes in the fall and continue towards my goal of becoming a nurse,” shared Ansel. “There is always time to follow your dreams. Sometimes, you just have to look for it.”
Her story is one of many that was shared during the ceremony. With family and friends on-hand, the graduates shined with great pride in all that they were able to accomplish and were excited about a pathway ahead that is full of opportunities and greatness.
For more information, stop by the JVS Adult Career Center, located at 15181 State Route 58 in Oberlin or call 440-7741051 Ext. 22254. You can also go to the Ohio Department of Education website for more information.