HILLSBORO, Mo. — Jefferson College honored 53 Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) students during a recognition ceremony last week, celebrating their completion of either high school equivalency or English language acquisition programs.
Out of 77 eligible students, 53 walked across the stage in cap and gown to receive their certificates. The event also marked the highest attendance by family and friends in recent years.
“This ceremony is the most satisfying part of my job,” said Jefferson College Director of Adult Education and Literacy Julie Johns. “We meet students when they are unsure and apprehensive. Tonight, I get to be the first to shake their hand and celebrate their success. AEL truly does change lives.”
Among the graduates were 50 students who attained their high school equivalency diploma through the High School Equivalency Test (HiSET) or Graduate Equivalency Degree (GED), and three English language learners who completed the college’s English language acquisition program. Now, 70% of AEL students expressed interest in enrolling at Jefferson College, with 46 already registered for fall 2025 classes.
Each high school equivalency graduate is eligible for three free credit hours at Jefferson College.
Several students achieved outstanding academic milestones:
- 20 students earned scores making them scholarship-eligible.
- 11 students scored in the top 20% nationwide.
- Six students achieved college entrance-level scores.
- 11 perfect scores were earned across HiSET subtests, where 20 is the highest possible score per test.
Students were invited to speak during the ceremony and share their experiences. Notable student journeys included:
- Ryan Tunstall, who simultaneously completed the AEL and EMT programs and is now pursuing a paramedic license.
- Gyorgy Plesovszki, a Hungarian immigrant who overcame adversity and is now enrolled at Jefferson College.
- Kay Winder and Corey Robinson, a married couple who completed the program together to improve life for their family.
Guest speaker Dr. Dena McCaffrey, president of Jefferson College, addressed the students during the ceremony. Sixteen Jefferson College employees also attended in support of the AEL program.
For more information about Jefferson College’s AEL program, visit https://www.jeffco.edu/departments/ael/.