'I've got a career somewhere I can be a very long time': Education changed Deans' lives

COSHOCTON − David and Taci Dean of Coshocton wanted to improve their education and career paths not just for themselves, but for their 9-year-old daughter.

The couple, who have been together since 2010 and married since 2018, didn't feel it was right to preach the importance of getting an education and staying in school to Elaina when neither of them graduated high school.

Thanks to a new adult education program at the Coshocton County Career Center, in partnership with the Buckeye Career Center of New Philadelphia, the couple earned high school diplomas and industry-recognized credentials. They were able to attend for free via the Ohio Adult Diploma Program.

David took a welding course with instructor Brad Crozier and impressed him so much that David recently started a job with Crozier Welding. Taci completed the business and marketing program with Mike Cichon. She's currently looking for a job, but also wants to explore furthering her education in the business and marketing field.

The couple believes it was fate that led them to the program and everything just fell into place so perfectly for them to pass their courses and tests in just about two months. David is making better money with a shorter commute and Taci is optimistic about re-entering the workforce at a higher level too.

Steve Rippeth, assistant director of adult education at BCC, said since the program started in January, 20 people have taken the opportunity with six already earned high school diplomas. He said they plan to continue to offer the welding and business programs along with others upcoming, including drone for safety services.

"BCC and CCCC agree that this program has great value and potential," Rippeth said. "The hope is this and other new programs will allow even more people who desire to complete their high school diploma to get that opportunity."

Tough path, but worth the effort

The couple met in Frazeysburg and moved to Coshocton about three years ago to be closer to Taci's mother and stepfather. It was them who told the Deans about the career center program after hearing about it on WTNS Radio. They then sent them information on it from a Facebook post.

"They were like, 'you should go down and check it out. What's the worse that could happen. They say no we can't take you,'" David recalled. "We kind of pushed it around and then I told myself it was fate, because the job I was working at something tore on the machine. I said, 'I might as well go and do it, because if I'm not here at work and can't work, I might as well go do this.'"

However, the ultimate driver for them was Elaina. Not only wanting better for her, but for them to serve as role models on what an education can offer. Elaina saw their struggles and hardships in juggling work and school, but she was by far their biggest cheerleader.

"She's starting to get to that point where she doesn't want to do school. We're like 'look, it's a lot harder when you have to do this on top of working,'" Taci said.

"It was emotional. It hurt. Just because I wanted my daughter to see both of us succeed," David added. "I buckled down even harder and studied even harder."

The Deans will be walking in a graduation ceremony in May and it means the world to them that Elaina will see them do that.

"Just going and picking up the diplomas, she was all about it. The teachers and Steve asked 'Are you so proud of your parents' and she said 'I am," Taci remembered. "After we left she was just looking at (the certificates) in amazement. I told her 'when you're 18, your senior year, you'll get one of these.' I feel that will give her more drive. 'Hey, my parents did it even after they had to get out of high school, they still made it."

Individual hard work

David is 30 and Taci is 29, so being out of high school more than 10 years made it hard to get back into the groove of classwork, but they persevered because they could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

David passed his testing for welding and could have left the program, but stayed as he wanted to learn metal inert gas welding. Brad made a call to Crozier Welding on David's behalf, but he still had to interview. It was an opportunity, but not a job on a silver platter.

"It was great, the workforce, the guys there" David said of his first day. "I'm still a novice. It's definitely a lot of them watching me, which is fine. I'd rather learn from someone who has been doing this for a longtime than just going out on my own and messing stuff up.

"I've got a career somewhere I can be a very longtime doing something I learned in class," David continued. "It's more money, better drive time, better insurance, better environment; you name it."

Taci in her track learned about customer service and working in retail. She said it was a lot of videos, slideshows and computer coursework. This has given her a foundation to explore more, possibly cosmetology.

"Rght now I'm just seeing what I can get into with this certificate," Taci said.

They would both encourage anyone to take advantage of the program and do all you can to work with your employer and support network of family and friends to make it happen. They said the instructors were flexible on working around their schedules, as long as they could see the Deans putting in the hours and effort.

"They were so kind. They were sitting there talking with us on it the first day. They make you feel good about doing it," Taci said of the instructors. "(Furthering education) is something we've been trying to do and just finding the time for it has been difficult on its own."

David said it's embarrassing to talk to your friends and co-workers when something about high school or college comes up, and he just sits there without commenting. Not anymore.

"I can't thank them enough, they changed our lives basically," David said of the program. "Anybody who has heard about it or thinking about, it's definitely worth it if you put forth the effort."

Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with more than 15 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @llhayhurst.

This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: David and Taci Dean have brighter future after passing adult ed program