How a supportive program helped a woman overcome barriers
Hermelinda Aguirre, or Meli as she prefers, has a physical disability that limits her mobility—but not her future. With the personalized attention she received from the adult education program that partners with Lake Tahoe Community College, she is achieving—and setting—ambitious goals.
ADVANCE, which is the name of the Lake Tahoe Adult Education Consortium, officially opened its doors in 2016. But Aguirre, who is now 53, had been preparing for the high school equivalency exam with LTCC off and on before that, and a problem had already been identified. While she could prep for the tests locally, she would have to travel almost an hour to take the HSE exams in either Placerville, California or Carson City, Nevada.
Her ADVANCE teachers quickly worked to accommodate her needs. Aguirre’s initial test—social studies—was administered locally for the first time in July 2016. But she encountered difficulties with the other exams, most notably writing and mathematics. Still, her goals were to earn a high school credential, then enroll at LTCC to begin working toward an AA degree in Early Childhood Education, and she remained willing to put in the time and effort to achieve them.
“Despite her disability, Meli never gave up her desire to attain her high school diploma. Through a combination of independent book work, competency-based assessments and college classes, Meli was successful.”
Susan Baker, Adult Education Teacher, EDCOE/ADVANCE
To honor both her goals and her determination, ADVANCE began to explore the possibility of a hybrid, competency-based approach to a diploma. With buy-in from its member partners at the El Dorado County Office of Education, her teachers were able to create a plan that capitalized on Aguirre’s success with the HSE tests she passed, added independent projects that contextualized the necessary learning in a more engaging way, and allowed her to start classes at LTCC in a “dual enrollment” approach to avoid future replication of coursework.
“Meli has a strong sense of commitment and a desire to succeed in all she does,” says Susan Baker, the ADVANCE adult education teacher who was most involved with Aguirre’s personalized graduation pathway plan. “Despite her disability, Meli never gave up her desire to attain her high school diploma. Through a combination of independent book work, competency-based assessments and college classes, Meli was successful. Her goal is to get her degree in Early Childhood Education, and I have no doubt she will succeed.”
ADVANCE also connected Aguirre to the California Department of Rehabilitation, adding additional resources to help mitigate the impact of her disability on her goal. Most importantly, this connection with DOR ensured her access to the supports needed to successfully complete her initial college courses.
Because of her hard work and determination, as well as the creativity of her teachers and ADVANCE’s education partners, Aguirre earned her high school diploma in June 2020 and continues to work her way through her college coursework.
To learn more about ADVANCE, visit ltcc.edu/academics/specialized_programs/advance/index.php or call 530-541-4660.
Written by Thea Marie Rood
| Regions | Classes |
|---|---|
| Northern California | High School – Life Skills |
