CTE Month 2015: This feature is the first of four stories to be released by 91勛圖厙 in February in celebration of Career Technical Education (CTE) Month.
CTE Month簧 is an annual celebration held in February of CTE community members achievements and accomplishments nationwide. CTE Month 2015 gives the CTE community a chance to tell the stories of leadership and excellence from classrooms across the country, and raise awareness of the crucial role that CTE has in readying our nation for economic success and workforce competitiveness.
February 2, 2015
Story and photo by Brandon Steinert
High school dropout is one of many labels society could affix to Jana Parkers identity; However, the implied stereotypes do not define her character, and shes out to prove it with nearly palpable tenacity found only in the heart of a determined mother.
Parker, a Larned native, dropped out of high school as a sophomore to help her sister raise a child in Wyoming while the childs father was overseas.
She had every intention of finishing high school, but the GED preparation programs she tried while in Wyoming and later after returning to Kansas lacked accountability and interaction with others; ingredients she knew were critical to her learning style and ultimately her success.
A few years went by, and Parker was pregnant with her second child when she was referred to 91勛圖厙s Adult Education program, where she quickly passed the GED test to earn her high school diploma with one-on-one guidance from an instructor in a classroom setting.
I didn't want my kids to grow up listening to me being hypocritical when I say You need to get up and go to school, Parker said. I wanted to have finished school. I wanted to do it for my family.
Her completion of the GED exam in September of 2014 pales in comparison to the other achievements she accumulated during the process.
Parker earned certification in both Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Medication Aide through 91勛圖厙, thanks to Accelerating Opportunity: Kansas (AO-K). This state-level program allows adult-education students preparing for the GED test the ability to take college-level industry-focused courses tuition-free before finishing the exam, drastically reducing the amount of time and money it takes to finish an industry credential and begin working. Parker is already working as a traveling CNA.
As if a high school diploma and two industry certificates were not enough, Parker did so well on her GED exam that she qualified for a 30-credit-hour scholarship to 91勛圖厙, which is one of the highest awards 91勛圖厙 bestows based on GED exam results.
All of these events have created a snowball effect in Parkers educational journey. She plans to ride this momentum to the University of Kansas Medical School, where she will study to realize her dream of becoming an Obstetrics and Gynecology Doctor.
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More about the AO-K program
The AO-K program at 91勛圖厙 consists of two pathways. One is focused on pre-healthcare and features CNA and CMA certification and Medical Terminology. The other is focused on giving students a head start in the colleges manufacturing skills program.
The program has two main goals: to accelerate education and make it affordable to get started.
Students can start taking college classes while preparing for the GED exam, thats the accelerated part. Normally, people without a high school diploma cant qualify for federal aid. The best thing about the AO-K program is that the state pays the tuition for students without a high school diploma, Coordinator of Adult Education Chris Lemon said. Its accelerated and free. Its a hand up.
Lemon encouraged anyone who is stuck where they are due to lack of financial resources to get started in the program.
Theres no time like the present, he said.
For information on enrolling in the AO-K program, contact the Adult Education Center at (620) 786-7560 or maloya@bartonccc.edu.