Story and photo by Brandon Steinert
“High school dropout” is one of many labels society could affix to Jana Parker’s identity; However, the implied stereotypes do not define her character, and she’s out to prove it with nearly palpable tenacity found only in the heart of a determined mother.
Parker, a Larned native, dropped out of high school as a sophomore to help her sister raise a child in Wyoming while the child’s father was overseas.
She had every intention of finishing high school, but the GED preparation programs she tried while in Wyoming and later after returning to Kansas lacked accountability and interaction with others; ingredients she knew were critical to her learning style and ultimately her success.
A few years went by, and Parker was pregnant with her second child when she was referred to Barton Community College’s Adult Education program, where she quickly passed the GED test to earn her high school diploma with one-on-one guidance from an instructor in a classroom setting.
“I didn’t want my kids to grow up listening to me being hypocritical when I say ‘You need to get up and go to school,’” Parker said. “I wanted to have finished school. I wanted to do it for my family.”
Her completion of the GED exam in September of 2014 pales in comparison to the other achievements she accumulated during the process.
Parker earned certification in both Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Medication Aide through Barton, thanks to “Accelerating Opportunity: Kansas” (AO-K). This state-level program allows adult-education students preparing for the GED test the ability to take college-level industry-focused courses tuition-free before finishing the exam, drastically reducing the amount of time and money it takes to finish an industry credential and begin working. Parker is already working as a traveling CNA.
As if a high school diploma and two industry certificates were not enough, Parker did so well on her GED exam that she qualified for a 30-credit-hour scholarship to Barton, which is one of the highest awards Barton bestows based on GED exam results.
All of these events have created a snowball effect in Parker’s educational journey. She plans to ride this momentum to the University of Kansas Medical School, where she will study to realize her dream of becoming an Obstetrics and Gynecology Doctor.
More about the AO-K program
The AO-K program at Barton consists of two pathways. One is focused on pre-healthcare and features CNA and CMA certification and Medical Terminology. The other is focused on giving students a head start in the college’s manufacturing skills program.
The program has two main goals: to accelerate education and make it affordable to get started.
“Students can start taking college classes while preparing for the GED exam, that’s the accelerated part. Normally, people without a high school diploma can’t qualify for federal aid. The best thing about the AO-K program is that the state pays the tuition for students without a high school diploma,” Coordinator of Adult Education Chris Lemon said. “It’s accelerated and free. It’s a hand up.”
Lemon encouraged anyone who is “stuck where they are” due to lack of financial resources to get started in the program.
“There’s no time like the present,” he said.
For information on enrolling in the AO-K program, contact the Adult Education Center at (620) 786-7560 or maloya@bartonccc.edu.
