Callaway County HiSET preparation class orientations to be offered
[]After receiving her High School Equivalency Test (HiSET) certificate in December, Angelique Cruickshank is going through college orientation so she can enroll in online classes this spring.
Cruickshank, now 34, has tried to get her GED - the old high school equivalency test - in the past. While she had never signed up to take the High School Equivalency Test before, she had enrolled and started the preparation classes for the test several times since she was 19.
However, whether it was work, money or relationships - Cruickshank said something always came up that stopped her from following through.
"I always put my education last," Cruickshank said.
She added that her son motivated her to make education a priority.
"I have a 2-year-old son that I want to be a good influence for. And it's about time (I take the test) - I've tried many times before to get my GED but I put everything above that," Cruickshank said.
Even with her new education-first mindset, Cruickshank said she wouldn't have been able to afford the test and get her HiSET certificate if it wasn't for Central Missouri Community Action (CMCA) and the new HiSET preparation classes offered in Fulton.
Last spring, community members realized the need for open, free High School Equivalency Test preparation courses in Callaway County. Tad Dobyns with CMCA described the community as being supportive as they worked to get classes started in Callaway.
"It's been such a community effort," Dobyns said.
The HiSET Advisory Council, which oversees and organizes the HiSET preparation program, includes community representatives from SERVE, Inc., Probation and Parole, CMCA and the Callaway County Health Department.
In addition to those community organizations, Dobyns said others - including the Fulton Housing Authority, Westminster College, the public library and Callaway Resource Network - have helped a great deal as well.
With the help of a United Way community enhancement grant, a group of community members and organizations were able to get the preparation classes started in the fall. That's when Cruickshank started taking classes again.
After passing the HiSET exam a couple months ago, her diploma was sent to her father's house. He brought it in to Cruickshank's work to give it to her. She said receiving her HiSET certificate from her father meant a lot to her.
"It feels good to make him proud," Cruickshank said.
Cruickshank plans to study psychology in college at the University of Phoenix online. She wants to one day work in social work to help others. As she works toward that, she plans to be a stay at home mom and full-time student.
Nancy Foster, with SERVE, said that as Callaway's HiSET prep program grows, she would like to see it expand to other areas of the county to make it even more accessible to those who need it.
"I really have in my mind (having classes in) Auvaxsse and Holts Summit and New Bloomfield," Foster said. "I think there are a lot of people who can't make it to Fulton. I'd like to see that happen."
Since Callaway's HiSET preparation program is still in its infancy, Foster said the advisory board is still working to make the curriculum and infrastructure for the course as strong as it can be. She added that the courses in Fulton are different from other HiSET prep programs because they focus more on the individual.
Instead of everyone working together on the same material, like in a traditional classroom, everyone works on study material independently. During class time, teachers and volunteers are available to work through problems and answer questions with students in the class.
There is a morning and an evening class, which both meet twice a week. The teachers are volunteers. Since the program is still fairly new, Dobyns and Foster said they are still looking for additional volunteer teachers.
Volunteer teacher Sara Lair added that the teachers and community members involved in the HiSET preparation classes don't just focus on education.
"There's got to be a reason people got out of school," Lair said.
In talking to students in the HiSET classes, Lair said she has seen some students who left school initially because of learning disabilities, behavioral issues, pregnancy, a lack of feeling like they belong as well as other reasons.
"(There are) a whole range of reasons. Everybody has their own story," Lair said.
She said they make other, non-educational community resources available to students too, in an effort to help them succeed. Cruickshank said CMCA helped her with her financial struggle to take the test and acted as a resource for her. Missouri Works Assistance program gave her the funding to take the test.
When asked what advice she has for others considering taking the prep classes and the HiSET exam, Cruickshank said it's important to remember that they are capable of passing.
"It's not as hard as they make it out to be," Cruickshank said of the HiSET exam. "Don't be nervous going in."
The preparation class meets twice a week - on Tuesdays and Thursdays - at the John C. Harris Community Center, located at 350 Sycamore Street in Fulton. Students can choose either a morning or evening class, depending on what fits their schedule.