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September 2012
Student Success @ NDEC
NDEC Recognized by State
Graduating and Grateful
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From Expelled to Excelled
One of NDEC's star pupils is continuing his education in architecture.

Alex Ponte-Capellan describes his overall academic career as "a crooked road to success." An ambitious adult student at Notre Dame Education Center, Ponte-Capellan had suffered through his  middle school years, and was, he admits openly, expelled from a prestigious Boston school. As it turned out, being expelled was the catalyst that helped turn his life around. Eventually, he enrolled at Notre Dame Education Center -- like hundreds of other talented students looking for a second chance at success. Ponte-Capellan now proudly bears the title of high school graduate, compliments of hard work, diligence and appreciation for the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and their co-workers, all of whom recognize that people sometimes need special assistance with living into the promise of their lives. Ponte-Capellan plans to pursue architectural studies at Northeastern University.
"Learning English is essential to locating a job and supporting a family. Waiting is not an option."  
Sister Margaret Lanen
Distance Learning Program Founder, Notre Dame Education Center
Boston, Mass.
Sisters work in Tandem with State House
Educating Non-English Speakers is Top Priority
Sister Margaret Lanen works with two students at Notre Dame Education Center.
In Boston, Mass., 4,000 students are waiting for an available slot in a limited number of English language programs. The Sisters' Notre Dame Education Center (NDEC) has a pivotal role in helping them attain it.
The Massachusetts Department of Education recently awarded a five-year grant to the Center for its English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and GED high school equivalency programs. The Center also received funds for its ground-breaking Distance Learning Program, in which students participate in ESOL classes via the Internet. NDEC serves as the Hub for state-funded distance learning programs in Massachusetts. As designated by the state, NDEC's staff is responsible for overseeing that financial and administrative requirements are met by 11 other distance learning program providers. Distance learning allows students to participate in courses and programs from remote locations, thereby reducing demand for traditional classroom programs. In this instance, distance learning opportunities are accelerating a student's ability to learn English and assimilate more quickly into society.
Graduating and Grateful
 
NDEC Executive Director Sister Joyce Khoury congratulates a recent high school graduate.    

Notre Dame Education Center (NDEC) may have one foot in cyberspace, but its other is firmly planted in the surrounding community of Boston, Mass. This month, NDEC graduated 48 students from both its GED program and High School Diploma program. GEDs are earned by adult learners older than 21 years of age. The High School Diploma program is for those students under 21 who have dropped out of school and need a limited number of credits to graduate.
NDEC graduates have been accepted into such renowned institutions of higher learning as Miami Dade College, Salve Regina University, Northeastern University, Boston College, Brandeis University and the University of Massachusetts.   
A Ripple Effect....
A premier Adult Basic Education Center for the past 20 years, NDEC provides a full range of services to immigrants, adults who failed to graduate from high school and young adults at risk. The hundreds of courageous students who walk through the doors at NDEC have taken their first steps to change their lives for the better. With God's grace, our students' hard work and our donors' support, there's nothing we can't do to help others accomplish their dreams. Cultivating hope is at the heart of our mission.

With a grateful heart,
Sister Leonore Coan 
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Congregational Mission Office

P.S. When one person reaches for a new life, a ripple effect takes hold in the larger community. You can join forces with us and expand that ripple of success!