Jessica Cruse, a student with the Region III Adult Learning Center in Devils Lake, received the North Dakota Association for Lifelong Learning (NDALL) Adult Education Student of the Year Award on Oct. 2 during the NDALL Virtual Fall Conference.
The Student of the Year Award is given to an individual who is a current or recent adult student/graduate, demonstrates determination and perseverance, and sacrifices to achieve his/her educational goals.
In 2019, Cruse walked into the Devils Lake Adult Learning Center at Lake Region State College on a mission to earn her GED. At the time, Cruse lived 25 miles from Devils Lake and worked full-time as a desk clerk at a hotel in Devils Lake. She also worked the graveyard shift, along with being an intricate part of the family farm where she helped with day-today responsibilities. Motivated by her dad’s recent passing, Cruse graduated with her GED on Jan. 30.
“Jessica had a lot of reasons she could have used to declare defeat and walk away from her goal of obtaining her GED,” said Bridget Hanlan, Devils Lake Adult Learning Center director. “Instead, she dug her feet in and marched forward.”
NDALL is a statewide association that supports adult education and alternative education, its providers and clients. For more information, visit www.ndall.info.