MADISON TOWNSHIP — In August, the Ohio Department of Education &Workforce and Higher Education invited ASPIRE, Adult Diploma Program, and Adult 22+ providers to submit nominations for Outstanding Adult Educator and Outstanding Student of the year.
The winners for each region would be announced during the Adult Education Family Literacy Week in September.
When Madison Adult Career Center received this request, the staff immediately thought of instructor Mike Wagner and student Caroline Hester to be Madison’s nominees and everyone in our office went to work and contributed input for their nominations.
On Wednesday, Sept. 18, during the Adult Education Family Literacy Week, all providers and nominees were invited to a statewide virtual event to hear the winners announced for each of the five regions in Ohio.
“We were so excited to learn that Mike Wagner and Caroline Hester were selected as this year’s Outstanding Adult Educator and Outstanding Student for the Central Ohio Region,” the school stated in a press release.
Below is a narrative of their nominations that were submitted to the Ohio Departments of Education & Workforce and Higher Education. Their nominations were read at the Oct. 16 Madison Board of Education meeting before presenting them with their certificate.
The nominations demonstrate why they each are so deserving of this award.
Caroline Hester
Caroline Hester is a motivated, no-nonsense student who is driven to succeed and puts her natural intelligence to use every day.
She has overcome numerous obstacles in life, including trauma, to succeed. Her first success was in the fall of 2023 when she received her high school diploma through Madison Adult Career Center’s State Tested Nurse Aide Adult Diploma program.
Caroline applied her STNA toward MACC’s Medical Assisting Technologies program with advanced standing. She successfully completed and earned additional credentials as a Registered Medical Assistant and Registered Phlebotomist.
Caroline was offered and accepted a Medical Assistant position at her externship site because of the skills, abilities and positive attitude she demonstrated. Recognized for her classroom leadership and unwavering determination to succeed, no matter the personal challenges she was facing, Caroline was nominated for MACC’s prestigious Student of the Year Award, and was a top contender.
Not missing a beat and undeterred by challenges, Caroline enrolled in a Licensed Practical Nursing program just two days after completing the Medical Assisting Technologies program. Balancing full-time employment and the responsibilities of raising four children on her own, Caroline remains determined to become a Nurse Practitioner.
Her journey all began with victory in the Adult Diploma Program. The faculty and staff at MACC have no doubt that Caroline will continue to be a resilient leader, achieving any goal she sets her mind to. The program is very proud of her!
Caroline was presented with her certificate from the Ohio Departments of Education & Workforce and Higher Education in recognition of your accomplishments and dedication to achieving your goals while inspiring the learners around you and hereby named the 2024 Outstanding Adult Student of the Year for Central Ohio.
Mike Wagner
Mike Wagner has been teaching Welding Technology for Madison Adult Career Center since 2015, and is a true difference maker! Mike combines his dedication to his craft and creative applications of welding to inspire students to recognize and demonstrate their true potential.
Mike’s proactive approach lead MACC to develop a 90-hour Gas Metal Arc Welding Adult Diploma Program which launched in 2022-23. In two years, 21 students have enrolled and achieved 100% passage rate on the Gas Metal Arc certification and graduated with their diplomas.
He positively impacts students’ lives every day helping to turn students’ challenges into success stories. Mike goes above and beyond for all students daily working with students who come to class with various personal issues such as single parenting, transportation, compromised backgrounds, disabilities, and more.
One particular success story was a student who was confined to a wheelchair successfully completing all welding requirements with Mike’s encouragement and accommodations. In order to keep supplies in front of students and manage costs,
Mike goes out of his way to get steel donations. He arranges pickup or delivery, and often is the person picking up the donated steel. In addition to serving as Instructor and Coordinator of the Adult Education 630-hour Welding Program and the Adult Diploma Welding Program,
Mike is in his first year of teaching the high school program. He is also our Welding Industry Trainer, currently providing quarterly customized training for Jay Industries.
Mike’s prompt follow-up, willingness to work with any student in any situation, fierce attention to detail, and his ability to plan ahead and handle numerous responsibilities, is why he deserves to be this year’s Outstanding Adult Educator.
Mike was presented with his certificate from the Ohio Departments of Education & Workforce and Higher Education in recognition of distinguished instructional practices and service to students and hereby named the 2024 Outstanding Adult Educator of the Year for Central Ohio.
The five regional Outstanding Educator winners are invited to the Ohio Association for Adult and Continuing Education (OAACE) Conference Award Luncheon on Oct. 25, and the top winner based on the rubric scale will be awarded.
The top winner’s information will be submitted to the National Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE) to be a part of their Outstanding Adult Learner, Teacher, and Administrator nomination.