MANSFIELD — When Irene Sigler became pregnant with her first child, she had to make a tough decision — finish high school or work to support her son.
She chose the latter, dropping out her sophomore year to begin work as an State Tested Nursing Assistant.
“Ever since I was younger, I wanted to be in law,” said Sigler, now 31 and a single mother to four kids. “But I was a very young mom, so those plans kind of got smushed a little bit.”
After 15 years in health care, Sigler decided she was ready for a change. So she began taking classes to prepare for her GED test.
“I’ve been through a lot, so I decided it was time for me to get back to school and get my goals in line,” she said.
After about six months of classes, Sigler earned her GED in April. She’ll start her criminal justice associate’s program at North Central State College this month.
“(My kids) love it. They always tell everybody, ‘My mom’s going to go be a cop. They brag about it all the time,'” she said.
Sigler was one of 18 students who earned their GED in the last year through Mid-Ohio Adult Education (formerly known as Mansfield Adult Education.) It’s one of several Ohio Aspire programs throughout the state that provide free adult education services to Ohioans 18 and older.
Aspire programs are funded with a mix of federal and state dollars. The programs offer GED test prep, job readiness training and college and workforce entry preparation.
Our goal is to empower (learners), not just to pass a test or earn a credential, but to truly transform their future through education.”
Andrea Karpiak-Feasel, director of mid-ohio Adult Education
Students can take courses that help students prepare for career tech, college and military entrance exams.
They can also earn a high school diploma and industry-recognized credential through the Adult Diploma Program. There are even courses to help non-native English speakers improve their language skills.
Courses are available in person and online.
“Every individual who walks through our doors has a unique story, and we want to honor that,” Director Andrea Karpiak-Feasel said.
“Some students come in and they just basically need a coach or a guide to build confidence and help them through a very quick journey. Some students come in where they need a lot of remedial help to get to their goal.”
Karpiak-Feasel said the goal of her team is to create an environment where students feel welcome, respected and supported from day one.
“Whether it’s through in-person classes, online learning or flexible scheduling options, we tailor our approach to meet learners’ real-life needs,” she said.
“Our goal is to empower them, not just to pass a test or earn a credential, but to truly transform their future through education.”
By the Numbers: Mid-Ohio Adult Education
In the last 12 months, Mid-Ohio Adult Education served 348 students. Of those…
- 245 students spent participated at least 12 hours of programming
- 33 students enrolled in the Adult Diploma Program
- 18 students earned their GED
- 52 students showed increased at least one academic level, as determined by test score data
To see how those figures compare to statewide data, click here.
Sigler said continuing her educational journey has been rewarding — but it’s been challenging, too. She worked 12-hour night shifts to support her kids, then took GED classes during the day while they were in school.
Her ultimate goal is to obtain a bachelor’s degree and work either as a homicide detective or in youth probation.
“I’m not going to lie, it was hard,” she said. “I want to do youth probation, if I chose probation, because I want to be able to help change children’s lives and encourage them to do better rather than go down the wrong path.”
Addressing barriers to learning
Terry Clark is currently working towards a dual certificate that will allow him to work as a phlebotomist and electrocardiogram (EKG) technician.
At 60 years old, Clark said the program is helping him finally achieve his dream of working in the medical field.
“I came into it with dyslexia not knowing if they could help me. Everybody I talked to kind of skirts around it,” he said.
Clark said the staff at Mid-Ohio worked with him until he felt confident.
“They don’t let you go. They make sure it clicks in your head,” he said. “They’re willing to push you to get what you want to achieve.”
Karpiak-Feasel said the program doesn’t just focus on academic hurdles. Staff members also help connect students to community resources that can address challenges outside the classroom.
“Our adults come in with a lot of barriers — transportation and child care being number one,” she said. “Some of our adults, even now, are homeless, either living out of their cars or living in a homeless shelter.”
While staff do everything they can to support learners, Karpiak-Feasel said those barriers sometime cause students to put their educational journey on pause.
“Adult Education sometimes can be a revolving door. Oftentimes our adults experience crisis and they need to stop out for a little bit,” she said.
“They’ll find their way back to us because they know that we are there for them, that we put them first, that we’re a safe place for them to come back to.”
Mid-Ohio Educational Service center takes on fiscal management role
Mid-Ohio Adult Education serves adult learners in Richland, Ashland and Crawford County. Its in-person locations include the Madison Adult Career Center, the North End Community Improvement Collaborative (Mansfield), Marvin Memorial Library (Shelby), the Crawford Success Center (Bucyrus) and the Ashland Transformation Network.
Up until recently, the program was known as Mansfield Adult Education. In February, the Mansfield City School board announced it would discontinue its administering the program at the end of the school year.
Karpiak-Feasel said the change was unexpected.
“It hit really hard. There was no transparency. Conversations happened behind closed doors,” she recalled.
“I tried to stay with Mansfield City Schools. But I think what it came down to is the focus wanted to be on K-12 services.”
Since then, the Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center has taken over as the program’s fiscal agent. The program’s main site has relocated from its Fifth Street location to the North End Community Improvement Collaborative.
“We were at risk of our program being divvied out to other surrounding Aspire programs, but we fought long and hard to stay here because we know the need is here,” Karpiak-Feasel said.
While the program’s fiscal agent is different, Karpiak-Feasel said students won’t feel much of an impact. Mid-Ohio Adult Education will offer the same programs at the same sites, with the exception of the Mansfield City Schools-owned facility on Fifth Street.
The program will also offer two new GED testing sites at the Kehoe Center and Ashland University.
“We saw a real need in the community and refused to let this vital service disappear,” said Kevin Kimmel, superintendent at Mid-Ohio ESC (MOESC). “Adults of all ages rely on these classes to move forward in life, whether that means earning a diploma, qualifying for college or reentering the workforce.”
MOESC officials said they hope to further build on the program by opening access to industry credential programs like TurboCert in Bucyrus and is adding employer partnerships to support skill development.
“Bringing this program under our roof is a direct response to the workforce needs employers articulate through our Business Advisory Council,” said Amy Wood, MOESC’s director of grants and special projects.
“It’s a win for our community, our workforce, and most importantly, the individuals who now have a clear, supported path to a better career and a brighter future.”