For young adults who spent time in foster care, cut out from many opportunities that others enjoy, is there any place to turn for help?
For Chaney Cruze, Director of Education at Monroe Harding, a non-profit that provides housing and resources for at-risk foster children, the answer is simple: they can come to her.
Last Friday, October 23, at the Middle Tennessee Adult Education Symposium, Nashville Public Library (NPL) honored Cruze as the 2020 Adult Educator of the Year. The award recognizes an adult education professional for their contributions in helping adults in Nashville obtain their personal, professional, and educational goals.
Potential winners are nominated by their organizations. This year, seven nominations were received, and Cruze’s was brimming with praise.
“So many of these young adults have been told what they can’t do or what they do wrong. Chaney works from their strengths, and helps each student build a foundation of small successes,” wrote Sarah Brock, Director of Career Pathways at Monroe Harding, in her award nomination for Cruze. “Chaney is a one-woman education dynamo, and we are beyond grateful to have her at Monroe Harding!"
Among her many accomplishments, Cruze helped 112 students earn their high school equivalency through the HiSET, organized 273 college-readiness sessions for 161 students, and started Monroe Harding’s first creative journal, showcasing written and art pieces from students.