The Career Resource Center of Brown County recently celebrated 62 graduates from the 2023-24 program year. The celebration was held at the Educational Service Center’s Main Gym. Students, staff, families, and community members were all present to share in the joy of recognizing each of these adult education students for their accomplishments.
Director Christy Wrightsman and her CRC team witnessed the largest enrollment at the CRC in the last decade. The CRC enrolled 130 students this year surpassing the state’s goal of 94 and the previous year’s enrollment of 92. The graduation celebration was the culmination of high school equivalency diplomas, certifications and credentials earned by the 62 students who finished their program between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024. Students who did not graduate will continue to work towards their diplomas or certifications during the new program year that started July 1, 2024.
Highlights of the evening included two student speakers, Adrienne Harden and Amanda Naylor. Amanda shared her journey towards receiving a high school equivalency diploma and the impact that she hopes her return to school will have on her children. She is currently completing certifications to assist individuals who are going through addiction recovery. Amanda was the CRC featured student success story from March 2024.
Adrienne Harden was the second student speaker at the celebration. Adrienne is a graduate of the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant program. This program is a 14- week collaboration between the CRC and Ivy Tech. Adrienne’s remarks were centered on her thanks for her family and their support as she returned to school to further her education. She also expressed sincere gratitude for her instructors and program directors at Ivy Tech. She is looking forward to a career in healthcare now that she has passed her certification exam.
Jesse Clarke, owner of Clarke Electric Services, presented a $1,200 cash Clarke Electric Services Best Food Forward Scholarship to Amanda Naylor for her efforts and determination to earn her high school equivalency diploma and advance her education at the CRC. He expressed his willingness to give back to the community and shared that he wanted to provide a scholarship that would impact students both at the CRC and Brown County High School. This is his first year to offer the scholarship to both schools, but plans to do more in the future.
Wrightsman honored Adult Education teacher, Sheila Popplewell, for her 27 years of service to Brown County Schools. Sheila spent the last 3.5 years of her teaching career as the primary adult educator for all CRC programs. Her impact is demonstrated by all the graduates who were recognized for their accomplishments this year and in the past. Cortney Hitchcock was also recognized for her time teaching adult education students in the CRC night class.
The new program year has started so anyone interested in joining the monthly CRC email list of classes and services, should contact [email protected]. The first high school equivalency class will begin with orientation on Aug. 5 at 10 a.m. Students should plan to attend from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM for orientation on this date. The CRC is also currently accepting registrations for the upcoming Certified Clinical Medical Assistant and Certified Nursing Assistant courses. Call the CRC to register (812) 988-5880.
Congratulations again to all 2023-2024 graduates!
