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Every uncomfortable bus ride to school puts Jacquelynn Adams one step closer to what she calls a better life.
Each assignment completed, each class attended and each textbook studied gives her a little more hope of one day getting a good job and a steady paycheck.
But as tough and persistent as this grandmother is, she can't do it alone. And thanks to instructors at Coosa Valley Technical College's Adult Literacy Program, she doesn't have to.
Like many Rome area residents, Adams is enrolled in the program that offers free educational services to adults who either have never completed their high school education or who have difficulties with basic skills such as reading and mathematics.
It also provides English as a second language classes for area residents who lack basic English-speaking skills.
Adams has been in the program since January. The unemployed grandmother rides the bus every
Instructors Diane Elrod and Nancy Simmons overlook students Jimmy Wolf and Jacquelynn Adams in a classroom at Coosa Valley Technical College. Severo Avila / RN-T |
day to and from school, some days taking that same bus to pick up her granddaughter from day care.
She doesn't have a job and said the GED she is pursuing at Coosa Valley Tech is her only chance at a brighter future.
"That's all I've got," she said. "Without that, I can't do anything. I can't get a good job. But if I get it, I can better myself."
The program looked to be in jeopardy Thursday, however, when a funding shortfall in the state's budget would have forced a two-month closure of the program, putting the state's 246 adult literacy teachers and thousands of students on furlough for May and June.
But students and teachers alike breathed a sigh of relief Friday when Senate and House leaders vowed to find a way to fund the $1.8 million shortfall, although the exact mechanism has not yet been decided.
"What that would have meant for our students is they'd have nowhere to receive instruction and training for free," said adult literacy instructor Nancy Simmons. "Many of them wouldn't be able to afford going anywhere else. This is all they've got to help them reach their goals. It would have been devastating."
Simmons, an instructor in the program for 20 years, did not mention that the layoff of teachers would probably have meant a break in their benefits as well. Her concern wasn't for herself but for Adams and other students.
"Many of them are preparing to go into other programs or they have deadlines from their employers to get these skills," she said. "A two-month delay would affect their ability to provide for their families. These people are adults with adult responsibilities. They can't afford to lose any time."
Faithful to the program
Susan Hackney, director of adult literacy at Coosa Valley Tech, said students in the program receive vital basic training in reading, writing, language arts, mathematics, science and social studies.
"And our English as a second language program is always full," she said. "Rome has a large immigrant population, and they depend on us to offer this service. Many of them bring their children to school with them who do activities while their parents learn."
The program also offers life skills such as banking and parenting, added Hackney, who said she was thrilled and relieved to see the state's General Assembly respond positively to their plight.
Simmons said her students in the program range in age from 16 years old to senior citizens. They are students who've dropped out of high school, as well as those who have lost their jobs. Many students are referrals from the Department of Family and Children Services or the Department of Labor.
"We see a lot of immigrants as well," she said. "These people are faithful to the program, and if they don't have us, then they don't have any hope. This is their ticket to a better life."
Jimmy Wolf has been in the program for a year and a half. Shy but friendly, he worked diligently under Simmons' watchful eye Friday as he completed a math assignment.
"I love this program," he said. "If I have any trouble, the instructors are always willing to help. They're patient and really spend a lot of time making sure you understand what you're working on."
Simmons said the program offers an education to students like Wolf for whom high school was simply not an option.
A better life
And then there's Russia Collins. The single mom -- who Simmons calls an excellent student -- said that after having her baby, staying in high school was too tough. So the adult literacy program makes it possible to get an education that will one day secure her family's future.
"I'm one step away from my GED," she said. "I know that opens a lot of doors for you. And if I couldn't come here to do it, I don't know what I'd have to do."
So while instructors and program administrators are glad state legislators have vowed to budget funds to keep the program on track, they know it means a whole lot more to the students they teach -- students whose futures depend on the skills they learn each day in the adult literacy program.
Jacquelynn Adams is happy to ride the bus every day out to Coosa Valley Tech and to study textbooks she sometimes finds confusing and to solve difficult math problems if it means she's getting an education. After all, she's been inspired by another of the program's success stories. Her daughter completed her GED through the program and is now enrolled at Coosa Valley Tech pursuing a degree in business and office technology.
"I can see it way off down the road," Adams said of completing her education. "It's a lot of sacrifice, and it's a lot of work, and sometimes it feels like it's too much to handle, but I can see it, and I'm trying. I'm trying real hard. This program's all I've got. And it's gonna give me a better life."
