Expanding Flexible Completion Pathways
As part of a national strategy embedded in our
strategic commitments, ACE is helping post-traditional learners achieve success by expanding flexible completion pathways through innovative learning.
ACE’s Center for Education Attainment and Innovation (CEAI) serves these learners by supporting extra-institutional training providers—military, government, and community-based nonprofit and corporate organizations—and promoting work-based learning practices and policies to provide affordable, high-quality, flexible completion pathways. Flexible completion pathways recognize that learning is fluid, ongoing and occurs in multiple contexts. These pathways incorporate validated learning experiences into formal workforce and postsecondary credentials.
The interview below is the first in a series highlighting post-traditional students who have used ACE credit recommendations as part of a flexible completion pathway.
Post-traditional Learner Spotlight: DeJane “Daisy” Spears
Daisy Spears, a
Year Up program alumna, is well on her way to meeting her education and career goals, with Year Up offering a clear pathway to completion. Year Up is a nationally acclaimed nonprofit organization striving to close the
Opportunity Divide by providing underrepresented adults ages 18-24 with skills, experience, and support to enable them to reach their highest potential. Through a one-year intensive training program, Year Up offers these learners a unique combination of hands-on technical and professional skills training, corporate internships, and college credit made possible by credit recommendations from ACE’s
College Credit Recommendation Service (CREDIT®).
In 2018, Year Up will serve more than 4,000 learners nationwide, with
multiple sites located in metro areas across the country. Nationally, 90 percent of Year Up graduates are employed or enrolled in postsecondary education—or both—within four months of completing the program, earning an average starting wage of $19 an hour.
From our conversation with Daisy Spears:
Q: How did you get engaged with the Year Up Program?
A: While I was in high school, I took a college math course at the
Community College of Rhode Island. After graduation, I saw my high school teacher who said I should try Year Up, that it would prepare me for college. When I visited Year Up, they said I could earn 27 credits towards college, and I thought, why not? At the time I was working 60 hours a week, with two jobs—one at the Judge Rotenberg Education Center (JRC), a residential center in Cambridge, MA, where I work with adolescents. The second job is with Miriam Hospital in Rhode Island, where I take care of patient registration. I’d work all night at JRC, shower, then head over to Year Up to take my classes.
Q: How did Year Up help you make progress with your education and career goals?
A: I was in the healthcare pilot, part of the Business Operations track, taking courses in business communications, customer service, math, finance, and budgeting at Year Up. Year Up helped me earn college credit and motivated me to attend. Working on math, writing and public speaking made me feel like I could go to college and do well. And it’s a great support system. When I was in a car accident and broke my neck and shoulder, Year Up held my spot in the program until I could return.
Q: What else helped you decide to go to college?
A: I began feeling uncomfortable and insecure with my living situation. I’ve chased different jobs trying to receive an income that would lead to happiness as far as solving financial difficulties I faced with my family. The older I became, the more responsibilities entered my life, and the more I witnessed my family struggling. I was physically drained from working two jobs and not being able to provide for myself, never mind my family. I would work so hard, but I was never able to reach my destination. I felt as if I was running in place. It was then that I knew I had to make a difference in my life and give back to my loved ones.
Q: What led you from Year Up to the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI)?
A: After completing Year Up, I knew my educational journey had just begun. One day I was listening to Pandora when a CCRI commercial about fall classes caught my attention. I was nervous but confident and called CCRI to speak with someone regarding what steps I needed to take to enroll for the Fall semester.
A counselor told me to schedule placement tests. Days, maybe weeks, had gone by. Then the counselor called to check in with me because she realized I still hadn’t scheduled my placement test. I explained that work was too busy, when in all reality I was picking up old habits, working extra shifts and exhausting myself trying to make ends meet. For some reason the counselor refused to give up on me. She would call me once a week if she didn’t hear from me--she made it a priority to reach out, encouraging me to schedule my test, and telling me I would do fine.
It then caught my attention that she believed in me and there was no way I could let her or my family down. I had to be a woman of my word. That same week I took the test, I met with the counselor right after, ordered my transcript, discussed transferring my 27 ACE credits, and enrolled in two mandatory writing classes. I was ready for the fall semester to begin and ended up earning an A in one class and a B+ in the other!
Q: Did you know what you wanted to do career-wise?
A: My goal to pursue a career in psychology has been a plan since high school, and I interned with an early intervention program for four years. It was then I found my purpose in life. Having the capability to make a positive impact on the lives of others is truly rewarding.
Being granted the opportunity to attend a career and technical educational program provided me with academic and technical skills and knowledge. It introduced me to hands-on experience and smoothed my transition to college.
Q: What do you recommend to other learners looking at getting a college degree?
A: Network and find a mentor. If you have a plan and you can get opinions and feedback from people in your network or your mentor, that definitely helps. It made me wiser with my decisions. You have to want it too; you have to have a “go get it” attitude.
Q: What do you think that colleges, employers and other community organizations could do to help more people get post-secondary credentials that lead to good careers?
A: I personally believe they should ensure that the higher education offerings fit the needs of the industry market. They should confirm that the training is well-targeted to the needs of employers. And the employers should be committed to hiring the trainees.