Wills named SGTC’s 2010 EAGLE delegate

From Staff Reports

AMERICUS — Kenia Wills of Preston has been chosen to represent South Georgia Technical College and SDA 15 at the Exceptional Adult Georgian in Literacy Education Leadership Institute in Atlanta February 10 to 12, 2010, announced SGTC Adult Education Executive Director Jan Hobgood. The Leadership Institute recognizes and honors those students who have demonstrated superior achievement in adult education classes and programs.

SGTC EAGLE delegate Kenia Wills of Preston is shown above with her GED instructor Karen Coogle.

Wills was born in Sanpedro Sula, Honduras and grew up in LaJutosa Cholama Cortez, Honduras with nine brothers and sisters. She lived in Honduras until she married Kenneth Walter Wills and moved to Preston in 1997. She and her husband have two children, Kenneth Nathaniel, 11 and Angier Cruz, 7.

Wills enrolled in the Adult Education program at South Georgia Technical College to earn her American GED. She took classes at the Sumter County Plains Boys and Girls Club in Plains with instructor Karen Coogle of Oglethorpe.

“I was already working as an instructor with Spanish speaking students, but I wanted to get an American diploma in addition to the diploma I had earned through the Baptist Missions Program,” said Wills, when asked what made her decide to enroll in the adult education program. Willis works with Hispanic students at the SGTC Adult Education Center in Preston.

“The flexible hours were a big help, since I could only attend classes while my sons were attending public school. The interaction with the classmates and the instructor helped when lessons were difficult. I felt that I was not alone, but had a support group to get me through the tough parts,” explained Wills.

Wills hopes to enroll at Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus when her sons get a little older. She would like to pursue a career in teaching elementary age students. She is currently homeschooling her two sons and finds it very rewarding. She is also very active in the Macedonia Baptist Church and its Women’s Missionary Union. She teaches children’s church, works with the youth on Sunday nights and is also the mission’s coordinator.

She also volunteers to translate for the Health Department when Hispanic mothers have to take their children for shots and works as a translator for the police department when necessary.

EAGLE is the first statewide program in the nation that recognizes and rewards excellence among students enrolled in adult education programs. This student recognition program is designed to create greater awareness of educational opportunities that are available in local communities across the state and to foster greater involvement in lifelong learning pursuits.

The Technical College System of Georgia through its Office of Adult Education sponsors the annual Exceptional Adult Georgian in Literacy Education (EAGLE) Leadership Institute.

As the South Georgia Technical College EAGLE Delegate, Wills will also have the opportunity to speak at the college’s next GED Graduation ceremony in June 2010.

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