How a free library program helped a Bosnian immigrant finish high school (and college)

Key points:

In today's competitive workforce, having a high school diploma can dramatically improve your income and quality of life. In fact, the US Office of Labor Statistics has found that high school graduates earn 25 percent more than those who have not graduated. Unfortunately, sometimes life gets in the way.

Currently, in St. Louis County, Missouri alone, more than 57,000 people over 25 years of age not have a high school diploma. In St. Louis County Library (SLCL)We are committed to helping this subsector of the population continue their education and find fulfilling, well-paying careers. Through Gale presents: Excel Adult High SchoolWe provide adults with an easily accessible way to earn a high school diploma at no cost.

How the program works

SLCL launched our diploma completion program in late 2017 and since then we have had 122 graduates. We are funded by our library foundation, so we can offer the program free of charge to 50 applicants per year. Although we advertise scholarships, the main way people find out about them is through word of mouth. We had great interest after we held a graduation ceremony last year. In one case, a mother signed up after seeing her daughter's experience with the program.

Before applicants begin the program, they complete a self-assessment and interview. They earn credit for courses completed at other accredited high schools or home schools, as well as for portions of the GED®, HiSET®, or TASC they have passed. Students can take up to 2 years to complete the program, and along the way they have access to academic advisors as well as career and college planning. They can choose from 40 high-interest electives relevant to fast-growing occupations, including science, technology and healthcare, and we also provide career opportunities and apprenticeships to program participants.

Last year, we had 10 graduates, which included some incredible success stories: a woman who started her own business after completing the program, a husband and wife who had adopted children at a young age and decided to support their family by participating together in the program. and Zemira Zigic, a Bosnian immigrant.

Zemira Zigic's journey: from refugee to graduate

While every person who has gone through the program has an inspiring story, Zemira's unique background and tremendous drive make her an exceptional example of how a diploma program can change a person's life.

Zemira Zigic is a Bosnian who immigrated to the United States in 1998, when she was 17 years old, and settled in St. Louis. Although he attended high school in his native country, he did not receive his high school diploma due to the Bosnian War. While it had always been his dream to earn a high school diploma, obtaining one in his home country would have cost him more than a thousand dollars. Many immigrants – especially refugees – face this problem when they immigrate to a country where their academic credits may not transfer and where they may be too old to take advantage of public education opportunities.

Shortly after arriving in the United States, Zemira found employment to support herself and continued working in various positions over the years. Before she enrolled in Excel Adult High SchoolZemira had a grueling job that paid $17 an hour, but she had been offered a higher-quality position that paid $27 an hour if she could earn her high school diploma. Motivated by this new job opportunity, she completed the requirements in one year and graduated last May. “And when I found out I had my diploma,” she said, “I started crying right away.”

With his diploma in hand, he immediately started working at his new job, which is more enjoyable and earns almost 60 percent more than before. Zemira has encouraged “everyone who doesn't have their high school diploma,” including her husband, a self-employed delivery driver, to explore the Excel Adult High School program offered through the library. Within her local Bosnian community, they didn't believe such an opportunity existed, but now that she's graduated, everyone can see for themselves that it's true and they're happy for it. Earning her diploma has been such a monumental change in her life that she urges anyone who thinks they're too old to reconsider.

And high school was just the beginning of Zemira's educational journey. After completing Excel Adult High Schoolearned a Health Care Certification from the School of Continuing and Professional Studies at Washington University in St. Louis. The university offered this 3-month program to help our adult high school graduates jump-start their careers by preparing them for jobs as patient care technicians, medical assistants, medical scribes, and other positions. Zemira completed the program in December 2023. Inspired by her success, her sister enrolls in Excel Adult High School.

Last year, 11 graduates completed the Healthcare Certification program and were then immediately interviewed by the University of Washington School of Medicine. The hospital system is looking to hire about 3,000 people through its apprenticeship program over the next five years. We hope to help as many people as possible get those jobs so that, like Zemira, they can fulfill their dreams.

Laura Ascione is the editorial director of eSchool Media. He graduated from the prestigious Philip Merrill School of Journalism at the University of Maryland.

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