Adult Education student Amber VanTassel previously proved that dreams do come true as she became the first graduate of the National External Diploma Program (NEDP) from Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES.

VanTassel started with CO BOCES working towards her High School Equivalency Diploma in December 2017 but struggled with the TASC Exam. Her teacher, Adult Education Literacy Instructor Jennifer Kent-Isaacs introduced her to the new NEDP, believing the program’s competency-based learning would aid Amber.

The NEDP is a free way to get a High School Equivalency other than the TASC. While the TASC is comprised of five different parts, reading, writing, social studies, science and mathematics, the NEDP is competency based, focusing on real-world scenarios.

“I really was struggling with the math on the TASC exam.  This is a great program, especially for those that struggle with taking all parts of the TASC exam at once,” said VanTassel.

VanTassel started the program in January 2019 and graduated September 2019. She will now go on to work at Liberty Resources with the ultimate goal of working with troubled teens.