Name: Alice Wasson
Title: Instructor, High School Program
Location: Lincoln Center
Years of Service: 27

What stands out about Kirkwood to you?
An educational institution that offers educational opportunities for individuals of all ages in this community.

What is one of your most memorable moments at Kirkwood?
A comment I received from an adult student as she graduated a number of years ago. She had had very negative experience in her former traditional high school, and had been fearful about returning to high school and being in classes. After completing the four classes she needed to graduate she told me that attending my classes had been a great experience. "Not once had I made her feel dumb," she said.

What keeps you motivated?
The good feeling I get when I am able to help a student succeed.

What is the best part of your job?
Working with students.

What is your approach to teaching?
Being a facilitator to "work with" the students to enable them to succeed.

Describe a personal experience you've had.
I'm the language arts instructor who teaches GED students how to write an acceptable essay. The experience of three students in particular one summer stand out in my mind. They were a young 26 year old male, a middle-aged man and a lady in her seventies. All entered our GED program with very low writing skills and no confidence in their writing abilities. Each one spent countless hours writing, revising and rewriting many different essay topics. At times they were ready to give up, but they kept perservering. In the fall, each one passed the GED writing test with very acceptable scores. They were so excited and I was too! Their hard work had paid off. Success stories like these make my job very worthwhile.

Describe your job duties/responsibilities.
I'm a part-time instructor of language arts and geography in Kirkwood's adult high school program. When not teaching classes, I work with students in the Lincoln Center who are taking independent courses to earn a high school diploma, or are studying to be able to pass the GED tests. I instruct all GED students in essay writing.

What was your first paying job?
Babysitting.

What do you do for fun?
Biking on bike trails in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Walking, skiing, reading and traveling. I've been to 47 states, 20 countries and four continents.

What advice would you give a high school student preparing to attend college?
Be organized and plan to spend time each day studying.