By By BEN RAYMOND LODE / Niles Daily Star
NILES -- Approximately 40 students have taken part in Niles Community Schools Adult Education Summer Program this summer.
In the last week of the program, few students remained at the school district's administrative office on Spruce Street in Niles Tuesday.
She said the students taking advantage of the summer program, however, have been a mix of adult education students and high school students making up, or getting ahead of credit.
Seitz said the students have mainly done Secondary Writing, a course consisting of 41 lessons that focuses on improving students' writing skills.
But students have also done algebra, pre-algebra, biology and general science courses, she said.
Dawn Rouse has been working toward her high school diploma for three years.
With the help of Niles Community Schools summer Adult Education program, she is now able to finish up what she once neglected.
The 35-year-old mother of two grew up on Rhode Island, Ma., and worked as a veterinary technician there for many years before moving to Niles with her husband and children seven years ago.
She comes to the school district's administration building every morning of the week and works on her assignments from 8 a.m. to noon.
Rouse said it's been hard having two children and going to school at the same time, but she receives help from her mother who takes care of the two children.
When she decided to finish high school, she received her transcripts that stated she only had two credits finished toward her high school diploma, Rouse said
Rouse, however, took the TABE test which, if passed, automatically gives six credits toward a high school diploma.
Although she doesn't expect to finish high school quite yet, she is excited and perhaps a little confused with the opportunities that lie ahead of her once she's done.
Although it has bothered Rouse to not have a high school diploma, she said finishing high school shows her children how important it is to get a good education.
But Rouse wasn't the only one with work remaining Tuesday.
Jerrod Gholson also spent Tuesday morning trying to finish up the rest of the work he had to do.
Jerrod Gholson, a sophomore at Niles High School, said he has enjoyed the summer program and the opportunity to get one-on-one assistance from the teachers.
Only needing to finish up a half credit, Gholson said he hoped to be done with his work today.
Seitz said finishing up the summer program means different things for different people.
The Adult Education program starts up again on August 18 and will run through the second week of September.
School students had to pay $125 to take part in the Adult Education summer program.