ACE SEMINAR SUCCESSFULLY PREPARES ADULTS FOR COLLEGE

Leila Dollison of Tifton, Terrie Hendrix of Fitzgerald, and Lisa Touchton of Tifton are well on their way to starting their college education at Abraham Baldwin College, thanks to the Adult College Entry (ACE) Seminar.

The 11-week seminar, which is offered by ABAC, focuses on learning opportunities for adults and provides a system of support services that prepares them for college entry and success. In the ACE Seminar, students are with other adults who are also just starting college. They learn valuable skills to help them succeed, including note taking, time management, and various study skills in a program tailored to their personal needs and goals. Prospective students also learn important information about admissions, financial aid, and placement testing.

Touchton, a communications officer with Tift County E-911 who would like to become a registered nurse, said she now feels relaxed and much more confident about returning to school.

“The ACE Seminar was very helpful,” Touchton said. “As a wife and mother of three girls in elementary school, this has been a huge step for me. I was afraid because I did not know where to begin. But Angie Palmer [ABAC’s Director of Admissions], Tom Call [ABAC’s Vice President of Student and Enrollment Services], and the other guest speakers led the way for me. I realized I was not alone. Many others have the same fears as I do. The learning tools and lectures provided in the ACE Seminar will give me, as a non-traditional student, a great advantage.”

Dollison, the Project Director for the Foster Grandparents Program that serves a 10-county area and is funded through the United Way, plans to pursue a social services degree from ABAC and then transfer to a four-year institution to work on a B.S. degree. She will start her college career at ABAC during the summer term.

“I would highly recommend the ACE Seminar to other adults,” Dollison said. “For anyone who is considering college or just needs an extra push, ACE is the program to help them make that move. I didn’t miss a class because I was so excited about the process and all the information that was given.”

Hendrix, a paraprofessional at Ben Hill Elementary School, plans to earn a degree in early childhood education. She said she was very nervous and almost too embarrassed to go to college, but now she has the confidence she needs. In the seminar, Hendrix learned how to fill out financial aid forms, register for classes, find places on campus, and develop better note-taking and test-taking skills.

“I know that I have a long way to go,” Hendrix said. “But my first classes start this summer, and now I am excited about going to college.”

Palmer, who taught the ACE Seminar in which Dollison, Hendrix, and Touchton, along with seven other students, were enrolled, said working with the students was extremely rewarding. 

“It was great to see them build the self confidence and determination to either begin or continue their college education,” Palmer said. “These students have my highest respect. I know they will achieve their goals of advancing their education.”

The next available ACE Seminar is scheduled to begin Sept. 2 at ABAC. Classes will meet each Tuesday through Nov. 11 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. in the Creswell Hall Conference Room. The instructor is Dr. Gail Dillard, ABAC’s Director of Evening and Off-Campus Programs. The cost is $49. The seminar is approved for two SDU (Staff Development Unit) credits. Upon successful completion of the ACE Seminar and enrollment at ABAC, students will be allowed to waive ABAC 1000—Freshman Seminar as a graduation requirement.

Regular summer term classes begin June 4, and fall semester classes begin Aug. 18 at ABAC. For additional information about the ACE Seminar, contact Dillard at (229) 386-7154.

# # #