GED center provides plenty of room to learn

Several weeks ago, when the staff of the Spokane Valley GED Center learned they needed to vacate the University Center, it seemed like bad news. Summer quarter was in full swing with 58 students enrolled. However, according to instructor Bill Bussard, that unsettling news turned out to be an unexpected blessing.

Bussard has taught General Education Development classes for 35 years. He moonlighted with the program during his 37-year career as a middle-school teacher and now is one of two full-time instructors in Spokane Valley.

The program is operated by the Community Colleges of Spokane’s Institute for Extended Learning. Through the years, he’s seen the Valley program housed in various facilities. “We’ve been bounced around,” he said.

Three weeks ago, the organization settled into Bowdish GED Center, just behind a Blockbuster video rental store on the corner of Sprague Avenue and Bowdish Road.

“We finally have a center of our own and a presence in the Valley,” said Bussard.

They also have more space. Bussard estimates they have up to three times more square footage than at their former location. And they’re putting that space to good use.

“It’s a happening place,” he said with a smile. Indeed, the center was humming with activity last Thursday as students worked quietly at tables or typed away in the adjacent computer lab. In the fall the institute plans to open an office next door.

Eighteen-year-old Jesse Randall labored on an essay. “I don’t like to write,” he said. “And math gives me a headache.” While most students are loathe to see the words “summer” and “school” combined, the students at Bowdish GED Center have chosen to attend summer quarter. Some may have needed some prodding.

“My parents kind of pushed me to come since I dropped out,” Randall said.

His assignment was to write about someone he admired. “I chose my father,” he said.

Across the hall in a cozy office, 22-year-old Danielle Preston worked with Read Right reading tutor Joan Martin. A bookmark held her place in “Old Yeller.”

“I’ve come up six reading levels,” Preston said proudly. “I have a novel at home.”

Martin clearly enjoys her job. “Most students here are parents and just having the focused time set aside to read is helpful.”

In an office next door, Val Finkbeiner manages students supported by WorkFirst, Washington’s temporary cash assistance program for low-income families.

Finkbeiner said her job is “to help remove barriers like housing, transportation and childcare. They can’t focus on school if they don’t have a place to live.”

As a result of such barriers, Finkbeiner said many students have self-esteem issues. That’s why they need to experience early success in this program. “I really encourage them to get that first test out of the way.”

Encouragement is something Bussard excels at. He walked among the tables offering affirmation to students and answering their questions. “We empower them by asking them which subject they’d like to start with,” he said.

Twenty-four-year-old Liz Ward has appreciated the support. She recently received her GED certificate and plans to attend Spokane Community College this fall. “I’ve been out of school for six years,” she said. “But this has been a really good experience. The teachers are so helpful.”

Her college plans are not unique. Bussard said, “Fully half of our graduates go on to community college.”

Zach Brown, 17, has collegiate ambitions and believes the staff at the Bowdish GED Center will assist him in achieving his goals. He said he’s received “way better help than I got at high school. When I have a question, I can just ask a teacher.”

Bussard said students age 16 to 18 must have a release form from their high school to pursue a GED. Brown concurred, saying he had to write a letter explaining his desire to finish his education outside of high school. “I met with the principal and my parents. I told them I was having a hard time concentrating in school.”

Concentration skills were evident in the computer lab as several students focused on the screens in front of them. Instructor Ken Commers said, “I’ve got the greatest job here!”

Commers introduced Angel Fillipini, saying the hardworking student was at the computer lab almost every day. Fillipini, 23, works as a caregiver in an adult family home. “I come here in the mornings and work in the afternoons and evenings,” he said. “I’d like to be an electrician and own my own business.”

The new location has made life easier for both students and instructors at the Bowdish GED Center. Bussard said, “It’s very rewarding work. Every day is always a good day here.”