Talon Mesteth
The Oglala Lakota College Community Continuing Education/GED program recently welcomed two new GED tutors. Talon Mesteth joined as the GED tutor at the White Clay (Oglala) district college center and Jordan Herman as the GED tutor at the Rapid City (He Sapa) site. Read in their own words how they found themselves working in the field of adult education and what they hope to accomplish in their new positions.
My name is Talon Mesteth, I come from the Slim Buttes Community and the Mesteth family. I graduated high school from Red Cloud Indian School in Pine Ridge, South Dakota and I have a bachelor’s degree in Lakota studies with an emphasis in Lakota language. I have also worked in the education field briefly as a substitute teacher and a language teacher/camp mentor for Tokata Wiconi Kte.
I heard about the GED tutor position through the center director Paulina Fast Wolf at the Oglala College Center in Loneman, South Dakota. I walked in initially to have my transcripts sent to Loneman School for a job opportunity, and I decided to apply for the GED tutor and college counselor position.
One of the highlights of my work in the GED program is when students come in and take their intake tests then continue to come in and study, either through the materials here at the college or through the various online programs we offer. Many students are used to books, papers, and worksheets, but some have taken to the online resources, such as Kahn Academy.
I was always taught the importance of education, whether it’s in a classroom or out in the world. I believe that there is always something for us to learn.
Jordan Herman
My name is Jordan Herman. I am from Pine Ridge, South Dakota and have recently started my job as a GED tutor. I graduated from Red Cloud High School in 2006 and went on to major in history at Creighton University. After graduating from college in 2011, I went to work for Oglala Lakota College. After 7 years as a family service provider in the town of Oglala, I moved to Rapid City and worked as a college counselor. Several years later, I find myself working as a GED tutor/counselor for Oglala Lakota College.
I originally learned about the GED tutor/counselor position through a job ad. Then, I was informed of and supplied with information on job duties through former coworkers at He Sapa College Center. I thought being a GED tutor would be a good fit, given my work history. My experience being a family service provider and then a college counselor gave me a familiarity with the work environment and job duties. I also enjoy helping others further their education and helping them navigate various milestones. Applying for the job felt like a natural progression for me.
As a GED tutor my goal is to help others break down roadblocks for their individual success. I feel my natural progression in this position is to be a pathway of encouragement and individual help. To accomplish this, I am building rapport with students and learning how to test with TABE (an assessment test of adult basic education). This has been a learning process with the software tools being new to me. I enjoy this learning process and helping students navigate through earning their GED certification.
