By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Tamica Fricks touted the importance of education for years before she truly practiced what she preached.
At first, she did so seeing herself as a cautionary tale about how dropping out of high school can impede your opportunities for a successful career.
Now, the 50-year-old academic mentor is held up as an example of how earning your high school diploma — no matter your age — can change your career trajectory.
“I wanted to further my education for myself and my for my kids, and the kids I mentor, pushing them to do better and be better,” said Fricks, who is now on the verge of earning her college diploma and plans to pursue a Master of Business Administration.
Fricks is among the nearly 100 people who have graduated from the Rockford Public Library’s 5-year-old Career Online High School, which provides graduates an accredited high school diploma rather than a GED. The program has been growing each year since its inception, leading up to its largest graduating class to date earlier this summer.
Successful graduates like Fricks are one of the key reasons behind the program’s growth, said Leon Smith, adult education program coordinator and maker space manager for the Rockford Public Library.
“Our biggest marketing tool are our graduates,” Smith said. “Once we have a graduation we’re swamped and flooded with applicants.”
The program has 35 currently enrolled and an additional 251 applications awaiting review, according to Smith. The library also sees roughly seven walk-in inquiries a day and 20 calls per week, a sign of its highest interest to date.
The online high school program launched in 2019 in response to a statistic reported by Rock Valley College that showed more than 45,000 people — roughly one out of every six people ages 16 and older in Winnebago and Boone counties — lacked a high school diploma or General Education Development equivalent. The data showed drop out rates were roughly double that of adult GED or high school diploma attainment rates.
The program got off to a slow start, which Smith says was likely due to its novelty and initial confusion about adult learners having the opportunity to earn a high school diploma. There were nine graduates in the first class in 2020, following by 13 in 2021, 18 in 2022 and 15 in 2023 before a record 48 in June. The goal is to grow to 150 students per year.
The program offers 24/7 access to online courses for those ages 21 and older. Students get 18 months to complete the program, but it can be finished faster depending on the pace of a student’s work. Fricks, for example, completed the coursework in three months.
The program, which costs about $1,500 per person, is paid for by donations.
Smith said many of the participants are mothers who dropped out of high school after having children at a young age. That was also the story for Fricks, who dropped out of Jefferson High School during her senior year to take care of her first child.
“I put myself on the back burner for them,” she said. With no diploma, she said she was often stuck in jobs in the fast food industry with little to no upward mobility.
“I feel like I missed out on a lot without having that education,” Fricks said. “Since I didn’t have that education, or have that degree, it held me back from getting different positions to put me in better places where I’m able to better serve others.”
Now, she’s a couple months away from earning her bachelor’s degree in correctional program support services from the University of Phoenix, where she again made the most recent dean’s list. She’s working as an academic mentor coordinator for Rockford Promise and preparing to pursue an MBA after she graduates in the fall.
Fricks has encouraged others to enroll in the program, including three youth she fostered as teens who have now gone on to graduate. Two were among the record 48 graduates in June, and now one is working full time with Rockford Housing Authority and the other is pursuing a career in law enforcement.
“Stories like that make me happy, knowing that just me telling them and sharing my story made a difference for them and they went on to continue their education as well,” Fricks said.
Smith said that the program benefits participants by helping them open up new career opportunities or continue their education in college. But he said there’s a hidden benefit, too, one he calls “trickle-down education.” The way he explains it, a parent begins their coursework at home and kids follow the lead of their mother or father.
“A mother comes in to get her high school diploma and her kids are struggling,” Smith said. “Mom starts at the table working on her homework, and the kids start working on their homework, and I’ve got reports that their grades went up.
“Learning is a habit. They see mom working and they duplicate what she’s doing. Once you start seeing success it breeds success.”
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas