For many students in LBCC’s Adult Basic Skills programs, the classroom isn’t just a place to learn algebra or grammar, it’s a place for second chances.
While the traditional student path often follows a straight line from high school to college, the path through Adult Basic Skills is rarely linear, defined instead by resilience, late-night study sessions, and the courage to start over. The Adult Basic Skills department helps empower students to redefine their futures in academic success.
| Adult Basic Skills at a Glance: Programs: General Educational Development (GED) Preparation; GED Preparation in Spanish; English Language Acquisition (ELA); Adult Basic Education Pre-College Instruction (ABE) Key Benefit: Skilled at addressing different learning styles and gaps in education and all programs are free (no tuition, books, or fees) Where: Albany Campus, Takena Hall Main Office (T-232) and Corvallis Campus in the Benton Center More information: www.linnbenton.edu/community/alt-paths/index.php |
What separates ABS from LBCC’s regular education programs is that it has an approach that is geared primarily to adult learners of all ages. Adult students often balance full-time jobs, parenting, and financial challenges. ABS takes these all into account, helping students in prioritizing and being flexible between their real life and future.
But, what does the ABS department offer?
The department has four main programs: General Educational Development Preparation, GED Preparation in Spanish, English Language Acquisition, and Adult Basic Education Pre-College Instruction.
The GED program prepares students for the high school equivalent GED tests in math, language arts (reading and writing), social studies, and science. It offers students who never took or didn’t finish high school the chance to further their education, while also offering a path into main college courses. The GED program is offered in both English and Spanish. Students must be 16 years or older to take the English program, and 18 years or older for the Spanish program.
One student who is a GED graduate, Erika Driver, wrote of her success story and how she started the GED program: “I dropped out of school in the ninth grade and turned to substance abuse at 18. In 2023 I went to jail for six months on some serious charges; it was then that I decided to get my life together. In September of 2024 I got accepted into the SNAP Training and Employment Program (STEP) to start working on my GED.”
Driver continued, “I worked extremely hard for a year by studying, raising my hand in classes, and taking practice tests. Once I started testing I passed all of my tests within a three-month timeframe. I am proud of that because I’ve always been rather embarrassed about my comprehension in school. I’m 27 and this is one of my biggest achievements.”
For other students, the move to the GED program is a strategic choice rather than a fallback. Asher Richmond left high school due to health issues and found himself at a crossroads in 2022. Coming from a family of educators, he wasn’t ready to give up on his goals.
After seeing his uncle find success through the program, Richmond enrolled in the GED program.
“I looked into the program in the area because my uncle had gotten his,“ Richmond noted. While he admits he would have preferred to stay in high school, the GED offered the “on-paper skills“ and the “formality“ of a brush-up he needed to move forward.
Now that he’s finished the program, Richmond is looking toward a future in a “makerspace,” a communal hands-on environment often found in libraries where people learn technical crafts such as 3D printing and woodworking. He views the GED as the stepping stone that allowed him to pursue this path without being held back.
The ELA program is for adults who are permanent residents, immigrants, or refugees in the United States. This program helps students brush up on their reading, writing, listening and speaking in English. It is geared towards students who are looking for work in the United States who want to improve their job skills, or are interested in going to college to earn a career certificate or degree.
The ABE program is for students who already have a high school diploma or GED and who want to strengthen their skills before taking credit-level courses. ABE classes are offered in math basics, computer basics, and college and career readiness (offered in spring term only).
Classes are offered primarily in the evening, after the main campus falls quiet from the regular hustle of students during the daytime and are offered at the main Albany campus, Corvallis Benton Center, or online.
As for the instructors, they serve as facilitators and help coach the student through the course and help them with questions along the way, including overcoming “imposter syndrome,“ which often occurs with students returning to college.
The Adult Basic Skills department’s mission is often found in the “intangibles.” For the Department Chair and instructor for ELA Françoise Howard, who has spent over a decade specializing in ELA, the role is less about administrative oversight and more about acting as a “bridge” for those who feel the world has moved on without them.
“Many students come to us feeling like success is out of reach, or that they have somehow failed,” she explained. “Whether it’s a language barrier for an immigrant or a missed diploma for a GED student, they often arrive feeling ‘deficient.’ Our job isn’t just downloading information into their minds. It’s about taking out the ‘victim mentality’ and replacing it with confidence.”
The impact of the programs often manifests in the smallest, yet most significant, victories: a student finally understanding a complex English idiom they’ve heard at work for years, or a College and Career Readiness student finding the courage to email a professor to request a classroom observation.
“I’ve had a student tell me, ‘Teacher, I am a donkey,’“ she said. “I told them, ‘You can never say that about yourself.’ Seeing that self-deprecating noise go quiet is a delight.”
The Commuter met with Megan Christoph, the program specialist at the ABS office, to better understand the department and what students can do to get started.
You’ve been with the department since 2008. How has your role evolved from being an instructor to your current position?
I taught GED and English Language Acquisition for six years before pivoting to the administrative side. Now, I manage the database that supports the federal grant – specifically the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act – which pays for the bulk of our programs here. I handle onboarding, orientation, and progress testing to ensure our students are meeting their goals. Because we are a small department, I also handle registration and answer questions for walk-ins and students just trying to find their footing.
How many students are currently utilizing these programs?
We have about 220 students registered this spring. It’s a very dedicated group. Our ELA students have incredible retention. They are often thrilled to learn that these classes are now free, which wasn’t always the case.
We see a bit more attrition in the English GED program simply because “life is big.” Our students are often in their 40s with children and jobs; balancing science, social studies, and math is a major commitment.
The staff supporting these 220 students is relatively small. Who is behind the scenes?
We have one contracted faculty member and six adjunct instructors; three for GED and three for ELA. We also have two part-time non-contracted bilingual classified staff in addition to my position. Our faculty and staff have been with the department for a long time and are incredibly committed, despite having to scale back from locations in Albany and Corvallis. We also have a bilingual student navigator, Leo Maldonado, who is vital in helping students transition to college programs.
What does success look like for an ABS student in these programs?
It’s surprisingly high. We are meeting all our federal metrics, but the real success is in the transition data. When I look up our GED graduates, a large number of them are currently taking credit classes at LBCC. Even though the college no longer offers the 12-credit tuition waiver for GED grads that it used to, students are still pushing forward. They aren’t always looking for a four-year degree at a university, as many are in their 40s and want a certificate or an associate degree so they can increase their earnings and support their families immediately.
For someone looking to start this path, what are their first steps?
For GED and ELA, students apply through LBCC using an application specifically for Adult Basic Skills. They then go through an orientation and testing process.
For our Pre-College Instruction (ABE), students apply as credit students and work with a navigator. We offer math basics, computer basics, and a College and Career Readiness course. These are designed to help students gain confidence and get comfortable with tools such as Canvas before they start credit-level classes.
Torey Arnold, a part-time biology instructor at LBCC, now has a PhD in biology. He remembers the exact moment he pulled into his community college parking lot for the first time. “I remember thinking, this is going to change my life,” Arnold said.
Arnold’s path was born out of a difficult high school experience defined by bullying and a “decimated” sense of self-worth. He dropped out at 16, but an inner curiosity about the molecular world kept him moving.
“I really liked science … I was fascinated with how cells work,” he recalled. “I knew if I wanted to be a biologist, I had to take the GED to go to college.”
After taking the test in Michigan and passing with “college-level marks,” Arnold began a 13-year trek through higher education: four years for an associate degree, three for a bachelor’s, and six for his PhD. Arnold noted that the GED felt like a more significant personal milestone than his doctorate.
“Getting the GED, I felt more accomplished in that than getting the PhD,” Arnold recalled. “The amount of dopamine hit I got from the GED … it was fuel to the fire. It showed me that I was capable, worthwhile, and valued.”
Today, as a teacher and biologist, Arnold’s advice to students starting the programs is to ignore the “stigma” and focus on their own timeline. “It doesn’t matter how long it takes. It’s not a race,” he said. “Whatever it is you want to do, that’s got to be the driving motivation. Just get into the pool a little bit and see if it feels right.”