Silvia Arzate, a native of Huetamo, Mexico, wanted to become proficient in English to help her daughter, so she decided to enroll in ESL classes and get her GED at ACC. Never did she dream she’d one day go on to pursue her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin.
Silvia Arzate will be an electrical engineering student at UT in the fall.
Arzate isn’t alone; in fact, many ACC Adult Education students don’t stop at a GED. Among students awarded a GED in 2009 and 2010, 51 percent enrolled in credit or Continuing Education programs at ACC within three semesters. The three-year average for Texas GED graduates to enroll in college is 20 percent.
“ACC’s Adult Education program is focused from the very beginning on GED students going to college,” says David Borden, executive director of Adult Education. “It starts in the mindset of the program. We teach our students about scholarship opportunities, financial aid, and what it means to be on a college campus.”
Programs offered to ACC GED students include Transitions, in which students build academic skills for higher education, and College for a Day, which gives Adult Education students an opportunity to experience credit classes. The fall 2011 Transitions Program begins September 6; the next College for a Day event is set for November 11.
“Many of the students are first-generation students who have never been on college campus before,” says Patricia Hernandez, supervisor of student transitions and success for Adult Education. “College for a Day includes panel discussions with students who got their GED and went on to college. Those participants become the new students’ mentors.”
GED graduates ready to make the transition to college can get help from the Peierls Foundation Scholarship, available through the ACC Foundation. Silvia Arzate benefited from the scholarship, which covers GED testing fees as well as funds toward tuition, fees, and books for certificate or degree programs.
“I came from the absolute beginning, and I got here step by step,” says Arzate. “My goal was just to learn English. Now I know what it’s like to be student. When I was at ACC I was able to discover that.”
Shari Sims has plans to study fashion design at UT.
Shari Sims is another recipient of the Peierls Foundation Scholarship. While Sims always valued education, a number of challenges at home – including financial difficulties and her mother’s illness – prevented her from finishing school. The scholarship helped her earn her GED and go on to credit classes, and today Sims is preparing to enroll at UT as a fashion student.
“The hard times just make me value this chance even more and inspire me to continue working hard toward my goal,” Sims notes.
After Sims finishes her bachelor’s degree in Textile and Apparel Design, she wants to get a master’s and eventually a Ph.D. in order to become a professor.
“After you get your GED, the sky can be the limit,” says Patricia Culpepper, student outreach specialist for Adult Education. “The Peierls Foundation Scholarship helps make ACC Adult Education grads’ educational goals more attainable.”
For more information on Adult Education and GED testing, visit austincc.edu/abe or contact [email protected] (223-5123).
Details on the Peierls Foundation Scholarship are available on the Peierls Foundation Scholarship and Stipend webpage. Adults who receive their GED certificates through ACC or one of its community partners in the Travis County Adult Education Consortium are eligible to apply; the annual deadline is May 1.
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By Joyce A. Adams July 27, 2011 - 3:16 pm
Our Adult Education program rocks!! We are so proud of our students!!
By claudia Franco July 27, 2011 - 4:41 pm
I’m so proud of you Silva! such a great mother and a very dedicated student!
By Lucy Guevara Vélez July 28, 2011 - 5:05 pm
Way to go Shari! Very, very, very excited for you.
By L. Burton July 30, 2011 - 3:42 am
Wow! This is motivational for me, in regards to just receiving my GED this year in April, but not through ACC. I’m a single mother who’s currently being enrolled in ACC to pursue my degree. Congrats to both of you ladies!
By Maria A. Kendall August 6, 2011 - 5:50 am
The adult education program is doing wonderful things in many lives. I got involved in the program at the beginning of the year and it has helped me take the necessary steps to reach my goals. This fall will be my first semester as a full time ACC student, and I am very excited to see what the future holds for me! I highly recommend the transitions program to anyone who has received his or her GED yet is hesitant to take on the next step. Thank you to all the wonderful people from the adult education program who helped me along my journey thus far: Michael Christian, Patricia Culpepper, Nicole Young, Charlene Gill, Ted Rachofsky, Allison Mosshart, and everyone who worked so hard to get the funding for these amazing programs.
By Alejandro Rivera August 8, 2011 - 11:17 am
The Adult Education classes offered at ACC were essential for me to receive my GED in 2000 after dropping out of high school. I never thought that it lead me to taking college credit classes at ACC a few years later and eventually receiving my Bachelor of Arts in Economics degree from The University of Texas at Austin this past May. I’m very happy to see others achieving their goal of attaining a degree in higher education after receiving their GED. Thank you Silvia and Sheri for demonstrating what someone with a goal and high level of commitment can achieve. I wish the both of you luck in receiving your degrees at The University of Texas at Austin. Thank you ACC for giving people such as these exceptional women and myself the opportunity to acquire the skills necessary to be successful in life!
By Adam August 10, 2011 - 12:00 am
I am astonished as to the story presented here for I too recently received my GED and now I’m attending ACC. I find it rather compelling, as well as motivating, to work that much harder to obtain my education. I would like to give a very heart felt THANKS to all ACC faculty members, especially Charlene Gill in helping me acquire such goals. T
By Bart Hosier August 12, 2011 - 1:09 pm
Congrats to all those who completed your GED. Moving on to ACC college classes is great and will improve your future. I decided to go back to college at ACC a few years ago which turned out to be a great experience. I cannot begin to thank those Professors that encouraged me. Now I am a U.T. finishing a double major in Physics and Math. I have set my goals even higher and hope to attend M.I.T. to finish my Masters and PhD. Study hard and come join me at U.T. or any of the great Universities here in Texas. You can do anything that you put your mind too. It all starts with hard work at ACC.
By Denyse Jaimes August 22, 2011 - 10:15 am
(:
By Daphne Sims August 25, 2011 - 7:15 pm
Sha’ri, it’s an honor to have you as my little sister. <3