Ivy Tech alumnus Kaleb Wagers soon to graduate from IU, student teaching in Ireland

BLOOMINGTON – Kaleb Wagers graduated debt-free in May 2016 from Ivy Tech Community College’s Bloomington campus and will graduate from Indiana University in Dec. 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education. Wagers is currently completing his two-month student teaching assignment at St. Flannan’s College in Ireland through the Global Gateway for Teachers program. From Ivy Tech, Wagers earned the Statewide Transfer General Education Core (STGEC) Technical Certificate. The STGEC is popular among Ivy Tech students who intend to earn bachelor’s degrees because it allows them to transfer 30 credits to any Indiana public institution.

In addition, to his current teaching experience, Wagers has worked as a student teacher at North Central High School in Indianapolis and as a substitute teacher at Monroe County Community School Corporation. In summer 2018, he also worked as a camp counselor and English aid at the Villacarriedo Summer School in Cantabria, Spain.

“I believe it is important for teachers to be globally competent,” Wagers said. “I want my future students to be critical thinkers who participate in civil and political society.”

Wagers was home-schooled in Oolitic, Indiana and began attending Ivy Tech after graduating from high school.

“I chose Ivy Tech because there were just so many advantages,” said Wagers. “I had the option of living at home and I didn’t have to move anywhere or stay in a dorm. Ivy Tech afforded me a high-quality education at a reasonable cost. My primary goals were to get through my first two years of college debt-free and to transfer all of my Ivy Tech credits to a four-year university in order to pursue a bachelor’s degree. I am proud to say that both of these goals have been realized due to the comparatively low costs of attending Ivy Tech and the many transferable credits that Ivy Tech has to offer.”

Wagers excelled academically at Ivy Tech and was awarded the Bloomington Rotary Club Scholarship, the Patricia P. Brown Elementary Education Scholarship, the Hutton Honor Scholarship, and the Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholarship. Wagers received a Phi Theta Kappa Transfer Scholarship to Indiana University which allowed him to enroll as a full-time student in fall of 2016.

“One of the primary reasons that I was competitive for scholarships was because I was a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society,” said Wagers. “Thanks to PTK, I was able to join the All-Indiana Academic Team. The scholarships combined with the low tuition allowed me to remain solvent and debt-free during my time at Ivy Tech.”

Wagers was also involved in Ivy Tech student life and community service. In March of 2016, he traveled to San Miguel, Guatemala with eight other students, through Ivy Tech’s Alternative Spring Break program and worked alongside the local coffee cooperative, De La Gente.

“My time at Ivy Tech was a rich and rewarding experience,” Wagers said. “From the Ivy Tech day at the Statehouse, to the O’Bannon Institute for Community Service, to the Alternative Spring Break in Guatemala; I have had some amazing opportunities to grow as a student and to meet new and inspiring people.”

For more information about Ivy Tech’s Transfer General Education Core, visit www.ivytech.edu/core. To enroll, visit www.ivytech.edu/applynow, stop into Ivy Tech Bloomington located at 200 Daniels Way, or call (812) 330-6013. Ivy Tech is open Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.