Rodneisha Corbit is a 29-year-old Rochester native. She was referred to OACES (Office of Adult and Career Education Services) by a friend, who was a current student at that time.
After hastily signing up for classes, Rodneisha was not successful in her first attempt of receiving her HSE (High School Equivalency) at OACES. She said it was a disaster and quit shortly after enrolling. That didn’t stop her perseverance though. Over the past year she prepared herself to return and decided to give it another try.
Rodneisha was beginning to feel detached from education and the education process though. That feeling of detachment resulted in Rodneisha lacking confidence in her ability to achieve her goals. That’s when Katherine Hizer a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) teacher noticed Rodneisha’s hard work, perseverance, and good attendance. So she reached out to Rodneisha and recommend that she enroll in the CNA program as well. Kathrine felt the CNA class was a perfect fit for Rodneisha because she was so dedicated to her studies and she showed interest in the medical field.
Currently Rodneisha is doing great due to her perseverance and unwillingness to give up. She credits the OACES structure which allows you to succeed at your own pace. The teachers are dedicated to their students and their teaching methods are tailored to each student’s needs. Curriculum is practical and not solely based on homework assignments. This educational process is beneficial in real life situations, most certainly when teachers incorporate the use of technology in their curriculum.
The structure of being in an educational setting helps Rodneisha stay on track to completing her two programs. She attributes her success to her teachers. OACES teachers have decided to come into work during these trying times because they see the potential in their students. Rodneisha is now more confident in her scholastic abilities, especially digitally. She now sees herself taking on more work, something she thought she wasn’t capable of doing.
“Don’t be afraid of what you don’t know, and never give up because of past failures in life”.
Despite the obstacles Rodneisha has faced, she has been working very hard these past six months. She is currently working full time as a Care Aid at All American Health Care and coming to school every single day. Having digital skills assisted Rodneisha in succeeding. She can complete her school assignments while at home when typically, she wouldn’t have that opportunity. Rodneisha is excited about her future because all her career plans were put on hold due to needing an education. Now that she is earning her HSE and CNA, nothing is stopping Rodneisha from being successful. Her dream is to work in Cosmetology and eventually start a makeup line.
After coming to OACES, Rodneisha acknowledges the challenges she previously faced when trying to come to school, but her excuses last year could still be excuses now she says. “People don’t listen and shoot it [education] down because their immediate concern is money, which has validity to it. But OACES is set up in which you can work full time and still attend whether it’s partial days or select days throughout the week. You can either work and be stuck in the same place, or work and come to school and progress while not changing your lifestyle too much and still make ends meet. The time might not feel right, but it almost never does- you just have to do it and communicate your concerns with teachers because they will find a way to help you be successful.”
