Ricky arrived at 9:10, the first student there.  “What are you going to work on today—history, or your paper?” asked Nelda Sheafer, the program coordinator.  “Whatever,” he said.  Within minutes, though, he was typing away in front of a computer monitor.

Ricky is a student in the Great Oaks Gateway to Success program, a unique and free program to help young adults complete their high school diploma.  It’s not a GED program; students between the ages of 18 and 21 can actually earn a diploma from the high school they left.  They work at their own pace on computer-based classes, but always have a teacher nearby when needed.

Gateway to Success is also based on several college campuses in the area, so students are attending school with their peers.  UC Clermont, Cincinnati State, and Southern State Community College all host the Great Oaks program.  Gateway to Success centers are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Mrs. Sheafer said that young adults come to them for a variety of reasons.  “Some had to leave school because of personal or family issues,” she said.  “Others lost motivation near the end of their senior year and just didn’t finish.”  Regardless of the reason, though, students can come to the program and work with an advisor and an online curriculum to make up the credits they need to graduate.  She said the average student is about five credits short of graduating, and can complete their diploma in six to seven months by working on school work about 15 hours a week.  Students who need to pass one or more sections of the Ohio Graduation Test can even take the test at the Gateway to Success center.

She looked in at Ricky, working on his term paper.  “They all have a story,” she said.  “One of our first graduates was just half a credit shy of getting her diploma.  Another student left high school during his senior year when he became a father.  Now he’s working full time, spending time with his wife and child, and coming here several days a week to graduate.” 

Mrs. Sheafer said the Gateway to Success advisors also act as counselors when needed, listening to students and understanding their problems—even when they don’t involve school work.  “We try to help remove whatever barriers are keeping students from graduating.”  She described one student who had financial trouble, who a teacher assisted by helping him switch to cheaper car insurance.  “We’ve even made house calls at times when a student can’t afford to come to us.”

The program was started in southwest Ohio in 2006 after Great Oaks CEO Dr. Robin White learned of a similar program near Cleveland.

The Gateway to Success program benefits students by offering a way to earn a high school diploma from their own school, and helps introduce them to the college setting.  Young adults who are between 18 and 21 and who have been out of school for at least a year can attend.  For more information, go to www.greatoaks.com or call:

• Terry Meinking, Program Coordinator, Cincinnati State  Technical and Community College at 513-569-4984
• Debra Frantz, Program Coordinator, Southern State Community College-North Campus at 937-382-6645, Ext. 4565
• Nelda Sheafer, Program Coordinator, University of Cincinnati Clermont College at 513-732-8968