Centro Hispano’s High School Equivalency Test (HiSET) Prep Program is the direct product of extensive, ongoing input regarding one of the most pressing needs expressed by the Latino community in Knoxville and throughout East Tennessee—the need for an opportunity to secure an almost universally-required prerequisite for employment and higher education in the United Sates, a high school equivalency diploma. Unfamiliarity with the new test and a lack of Spanish-language resources for student diagnostics and evaluation following the state of Tennessee’s transition from the GED to the HiSET in 2014 became a barrier for both the people looking to obtain this credential and the organizations that serve them. Centro Hispano’s previous, successful GED program was rendered obsolete. Although programs for HiSET preparation began to appear, none were offered in Spanish—a major obstacle for multitudes of capable people learning to navigate a new language and culture while simultaneously pursuing education and employment.
However, after seemingly futile attempts to gather resources and by collaborating with our friends at YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee, Centro Hispano Workforce Development Director Brandon Ledford was able to develop a HiSET prep program in Spanish custom-tailored to our community in East Tennessee. The program and associated classes were launched in October 2019 with an initial cohort of 25 students, and by February 2020, five students were ready to take their initial exams.
After sitting for their first round of tests at Roane State Community College, the students and Brandon were thrown another curve ball—COVID. This brought a complete pause to programming, testing and endless uncertainty. Always prepared to go the extra mile, Brandon worked tirelessly with ETS, the organization that administers the HiSET, and ProctorU, the online proctoring service provider, to navigate the transition to virtual test-taking. Students were then able to take their exams online comfortably from Centro Hispano’s office. To date, two of the five students, Sandy Alvarez and Clara Espitia Nava, have completed their exams and earned their high school equivalency diploma and the others will soon be following suit.
Despite myriad challenges along the way, through its HiSET Prep Program Centro Hispano has cracked the code to creating more equitable access to higher education and employment opportunities for the Latino community in East Tennessee. And now we need your help to grow! By investing in Centro Hispano’s HiSET program you will be breaking down barriers to education and employment for generations of Latinos in East Tennessee. Can we count on your support? Click “Give Now” to make a contribution today.
Centro is uniquely suited for success.
Over the past 15 years, Centro Hispano has established itself as a trusted resource and welcoming community center for Latinos in our region. More than trust alone, Centro Hispano’s strategic program offerings and scheduling make us uniquely well-suited for creating an environment that fosters success.
Our ESL classes, on-site childcare and offerings in both morning and evening provide the perfect mix of accommodation and flexibility to effectively eliminate barriers for the people we serve and funnel them organically to new programs and services like HiSET prep.