Austin Community College District's (ACC) Adult Education (AE) division received several statewide awards that recognize the division's performance, executive director, and students.

Texas Workforce Commission Best in Class Award
The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) honored the division with its Best in Class award, a performance-driven, quality award focused on a grantee's performance toward meeting targeted measures.

ACC was one of only two AE service providers to meet all of TWC's measures and enrollment targets last year. The college shares this award with its consortium partner organizations: Advocacy Outreach, American Youthworks, Austin ISD, Austin Learning Academy, Communities in Schools, Lifeworks, and Literacy Coalition of Central Texas.

Texas Association for Literacy and Adult Education Awards
The Texas Association for Literacy and Adult Education (TALAE) recognized Katherine Dowdy, ACC's Adult Education executive director, with its Administrator of the Year Award.

TALAE also honored three ACC AE students with Student Achievement Awards:

• Kimberly Xyla Ochoa received the High School Equivalency (HSE) Learner Award. Kimberly is an HSE grad, an AE Intern, and is currently completing College Prep.
• Xytalic Pardo received the HSE Learner Award. Xytalic is a former Lifeworks HSE graduate who completed two terms of credit classes as a UFCU Scholar.
• Rashida Hosier received the ESL Persistence Award. Rashida completed her ESL classes, International Trained Professionals class, and Accounting Tech/Quickbooks programs with Career Pathways.

"I am very happy for our students, faculty, and staff, especially for getting these awards in such a challenging year," says Dowdy. "Last March, when we had to convert so quickly to remote learning, enrollment, advising, and assessment, everyone was so amazingly dedicated, and as the award above notes: persistent. It is nice to be recognized for that hard work, and as always, an honor to be part of our students' journeys to a better future."

Read Dowdy's nomination here and the students' nominations here.