Class of 2019 Career Online High School graduates celebrate their success at Addison library

On Saturday, July 27, the Addison Public Library celebrated its Class of 2019 Career Online High School graduates with an intimate graduation ceremony honoring Addison residents Ruth Joy Safsaf, Ashley Schira, and Cynthia Simpson.

Career Online High School is an online program in which participants can earn an accredited high school diploma while gaining career skills and graduate ready to work in the field of their choice.

To participate in the program through the library, applicants must live in Addison, be 21 years or older, and be willing to commit 10 hours per week toward the program.

Students earn a career certificate in their chosen major in addition to their high school diploma.

The Career Online High School program is available to the library through the Reaching Across Illinois Libraries System (RAILS), which serves over 1,300 libraries in northern and western Illinois. The library began offering Career Online High School in 2016.

Adult Services Specialist Mayuri Jakate is the library's main coordinator of the program. She keeps track of the applications and helps potential students take the initial step in the program. She enjoys being able to encourage students to keep going, sending emails throughout their studies to see how they're doing.

"I just feel we take so many things for granted," said Jakate. "I really feel this is a great thing the library is doing, to be able to give people a chance to finish high school and go on to a career, or even go to college."

Each Career Online High School student comes to the program at different times in their life, but they sign on for the same reason: it's finally the right time for them to pursue their goal.

2019 graduate Simpson said finishing high school was always a goal of hers, and Career Online High School made it easy and affordable for her to make it happen.

"(Career Online High School) was very doable. I was still able to work and take care of my family and do the program at my pace," she said. "I even had coaches that spurred me on."

Fellow 2019 grad Schira also credited the flexibility of the program as a major benefit of pursuing a degree through Career Online High School.

"You could work at any time, day or night, that's probably the best part," she said. "It's convenient for how easy it is to complete the process. I had about two and a half years of high school left and (COHS) took me about a year."

Students have access to an academic coach, certified instructors, and technical support while they work on their degree, but each graduate credited the library - Jakate specifically - with being a major asset to the program.

"The staff here, Mayuri in particular, were so supportive," said Safsaf. "Mayuri was very encouraging. She helped motivate me by seeing my progress and inspiring me."

Simpson appreciated that the library always knew how far along she was in the program. "I'd get emails that told me 'way to go' and 'we see you're going to get this done soon,'" she said.

"Any time I had a question I would come in, or I could just email and they were on top of responding very quickly," said Schira of her experience with library staff throughout the program.

So what's next for the 2019 Career Online High School graduates?

"College!" said Schira. "I'm probably going to go for something in business."

Safsaf has college plans as well: she plans to switch her major from business finance to physical therapy, "And then I'll be on my way," she said.

Simpson is "at a crossroads" about her next step. As a business owner, she already has a path to follow, but she wants to be mindful of her own journey and plan for retirement. But no matter what, Simpson says, "I definitely know I'm going forward."

While the next steps for each graduate vary, one thing is the same for each: now that they've graduated with their high school diplomas, they walked out of the ceremony ready to do anything.

"Even without the food and the cake, the diploma and the flowers were enough for me," said Safsaf. "It's a special feeling."

Jakate said working with the Career Online High School program, which she has done since 2017, is very rewarding for her as well.

"I like to see their faces when they graduate, and see how much satisfaction they're getting when they finish," said Jakate.

The Addison Public Library is located at 4 Friendship Plaza.

For more information about Career Online High School, visit addisonlibrary.org/diploma or email the library at cohsgroup@addisonlibrary.org.