Aspire graduate’s story illustrates the power of education

September 28, 2017

Six years ago, Agustin Torres didn’t have a high school diploma. Now, he’s enrolled in the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Scholars Academy at Cuyahoga Community College, with his sights on transferring to Case Western Reserve University next fall to pursue a bachelor’s degree in humanities.

Torres has achieved much in the past six years, but every journey starts with a single step. And for Torres, that first step was to enroll in Aspire classes at Tri-C. Aspire is an Ohio Department of Higher Education program that prepares students to earn a GED®.

After earning his GED® in 2011, Torres was encouraged by his Aspire instructor to continue his formal education. Following a family illness that forced him to temporarily move back to Mexico, he returned to Cleveland and enrolled in Tri-C’s English as a Second Language (ESL) program.

He used his newfound English skills to begin taking college classes at Tri-C, which ultimately led to his acceptance into the Mandel Scholars Academy, paving the way for future success in school and in life.

Earlier this week, the Literacy Cooperative shared Torres’ story as part of Adult Education and Family Literacy Week.