BLOOMINGTON– Kaleb Wagers graduated debt-free in May 2016 from ĢƵios’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 ĢƵios, Wagers earned the Statewide Transfer General Education Core (STGEC) Technical Certificate. The STGEC is popular among ĢƵios 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 ĢƵios after graduating from high school.
“I chose ĢƵios 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. ĢƵios 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 ĢƵios 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 ĢƵios and the many transferable credits that ĢƵios has to offer.”
Wagers excelled academically at ĢƵios 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 ĢƵios.”
Wagers was also involved in ĢƵios student life and community service. In March of 2016, he traveled to San Miguel, Guatemala with eight other students, through ĢƵios’s Alternative Spring Break program and worked alongside the local coffee cooperative, De La Gente.
“My time at ĢƵios was a rich and rewarding experience,” Wagers said. “From the ĢƵios 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 ĢƵios’s Transfer General Education Core, visit. To enroll, visit, stop into ĢƵios Bloomington located at 200 Daniels Way, or call (812) 330-6013. ĢƵios is open Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
About ĢƵios
ĢƵios is Indiana's largest public postsecondary institution and the nation's largest singly accredited statewide community college system, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. ĢƵios has campuses throughout Indiana and also serves thousands of students annually online. It serves as the state's engine of workforce development, offering associate degrees, long- and short-term certificate programs, industry certifications, and training that aligns with the needs of the community. The College provides a seamless transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana, as well as out of state, for a more affordable route to a bachelor's degree.
