The Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette, Inc., (PIC) proudly announces that its first Distance Learning Project student, Elissa Stephenson, has passed the GED exam.

The Distance Leaning Project is an adult education program for GED or pre-college study. The Pennsylvania Department of Education provides this free service for qualified Pennsylvania residents. Accepted students are matched with a teacher who helps the students to reach educational goals through online instruction and at-home study materials. Students work during times that fit into their schedules and remain in the program until they reach their goals.

Elissa became involved with the Distance Learning Project through necessity. She started in the traditional adult education classes at PIC, but with two jobs and no car she found it difficult to attend on a regular basis. When Elissa heard about the Distance Learning Project, she contacted PIC's adult education counselor to learn more. After completing some additional paperwork, Elissa nervously awaited contact with her new teacher.

Her anxiety about Distance Learning disappeared shortly after starting the program. Her Distance Learning teacher, Jen Wagner, created a schedule that outlined the ways to strengthen Elissa's limitations. The teacher sent packets with a variety of assignments, along with recommended web sites for both instruction and practice. Elissa worked at her own pace, contacting Jen as needed for additional explanations. According to Elissa, Distance Learning, "felt like I had a tutor at my side at all times." Through email, she was able to contact Jen at any time and receive quick responses.

Elissa passed the complete GED exam in December, eight months after she began Distance Learning. Reflecting on her experience, she could not think of a single downside to Distance Learning. Since she could work at her own pace, she never felt rushed to complete assignments. She appreciated that her teacher could explain various problems repeatedly until she understood the material. Since she was able to practice on the problems until she reached a full understanding, she remembered how to work out trouble spots during the actual GED exam.

Since receiving her diploma, Elissa has enrolled at Westmoreland County Community College to fulfill her dream of working in the childcare field. The entire PIC staff congratulates her on her success and wishes her well in all her future endeavors.