MANSFIELD – Students Gabrielle Ramsey Dorman, Marley Ann Eidson, Zac Eisnaugle, Tristen Harris, Starla Hook, Brittany Lake, and Destiny Skidmore are the first Mansfield Adult Education/Madison Adult Career Center students to complete their entire Adult Diploma Program journey in Bucyrus.

The program is being held at the OhioMeansJobs Center, located at 225 East Mary Street. 

The program, Customer and Office Support Technology (C.O.S.T) teaches customer service and computer skills and is free for anyone without a high school diploma or GED.

Grants are also available to students wanting to enroll who already have a high school equivalency.

Students complete the course with certifications in NRF Customer Service & Sales, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Once students pass the WorkKeys assessments and all components of the C.O.S.T program they will earn their Ohio Adult High School Diploma. 

Six of the seven students prepared for the program by first starting classes with Mansfield Adult Education at the Crawford Success Center. There, they prepared for the WorkKeys assessments, an entrance requirement for the program.

Upon passing the WorkKeys, the students then began the customer service and sales portion of the course with instructor Amanda Doan.

“I love the versatility that this brings a student,” Doan said. “The content and certifications are both very versatile and you leave the program with certifications that only cost you your time — which isn’t free, but is very convenient for some.”

She also shared that her students made it worthwhile.

“I love having them, they bring a lot of experience to share as we have discussions and that makes it fun,” Doan said.

Doan was not the only one who had compliments to share when asked about the course. Her students all shared the same sentiments, that they were thankful for their instructor and the support they had received along the way.

“Amanda does a really great job of explaining things,” said Destiny Skidmore. 

Students also shared how impactful this program is for them.

“I just think that this class is important because there has never been a program like this in Crawford County,” said Marley Ann Eidson. “A GED is very unattainable if you don’t have a car. I have been looking for a program since 2013.

“I have never felt close to completion and now I do, we all do. I quickly realized that there were a lot of barriers between myself and the GED – this was a better option for me and we are all moving at the same pace.”

After graduation in June, the group has plans of enrolling in an IT degree program, joining the police academy, changing career paths into an office setting, and looking for a remote job that would accommodate a young family – all a testament to the versatility that the program provides. 

Madison Adult Career Center

Madison Adult Career Center is one of the leading adult training technical centers in our area, having served adult learners and employers for 50 years.

The Mansfield Adult Education Aspire program is not far behind, having also served adult learners and employers for nearly 40 years. 

If you are interested in a future C.O.S.T program or any other adult education program provided by either Mansfield Adult Education or Madison Adult Career Center, call Mansfield Adult Education at 419-525-6380 or visit their website for more information. 

Mansfield Adult Education

Mansfield Adult Education is federally-funded through the Ohio Aspire grant and is fiscally managed by Mansfield City Schools, serving students in Richland, Ashland, and Crawford Counties.