BOISE, Idaho – Mahalia Sullivan, a graduate of Lewis-Clark State College’s Adult Learning Center, was named the Adult Education Student of the Year by the Idaho Division of Career Technical Education (CTE) this month.
Sullivan attended LC State’s Adult Learning Center from April 2019-April 2026, earning her GED in May. She was nominated for the award by Adult Learning Center instructor Ruthie Gage.
“We at the Adult Learning Center are so proud of the remarkable perseverance, discipline, and commitment that Mahalia displayed in completing her goals and are thrilled she was chosen as Student of the Year,” said LC State CTE Assistant Dean Michelle Nelson. “Her achievement is a testament to the dedication of our instructors and the mission of LC State to prepare students to become successful leaders, engaged citizens, and lifelong learners.”
The Idaho Division of CTE worked in partnership with the 2026 State Advocate for Adult Education Fellow Program through the National Association for the Transformation of Adult Education to name an Adult Education Teacher of the Year and Student of the Year. College of Western Idaho instructor Rebecca Henderson was named the Adult Education Teacher of the Year.
Earlier this month, Sullivan and Henderson were joined by family and friends in Boise to meet Gov. Brad Little and receive their awards during the Adult Education and Family Literacy Week.
“I’m shocked,” Sullivan said of earning the award. “I didn’t see this coming. I thought these kinds of awards were only for straight-A students.”
The awards aim to recognize outstanding educators and learners whose hard work, dedication, and achievements reflect the impact of adult education across Idaho, according to the Idaho Division of CTE.
Sullivan “demonstrated persistence and determination throughout her educational journey and we applaud her accomplishments,” the Idaho Division of CTE announced.
“Her determination spanned a seven-year period of study, and that is so worthy of being honored as Student of the Year for the state of Idaho,” Gage said.
In her nomination, Gage described Sullivan as “truly an inspiration,” citing how Sullivan’s perseverance helped her complete her GED following a traumatic brain injury.
“She clocked over 1,300 hours with (the Adult Learning Center), in addition to the hours she studied on her own,” Gage wrote.
While studying to obtain her GED, Sullivan maintained personal responsibilities such as providing care for her siblings, but she was always on time for her studies and she never missed a class, Gage wrote.
As she wrapped up her studies, Sullivan was worried about taking the final exam. But she overcame her fear of failing her last test, Gage wrote, and Sullivan completed the GED in April.
LC State’s Adult Learning Center provides GED services to approximately 200 students each year, with 90 total graduates in the past year.
“We have many students each year that come to us with extenuating circumstances who have not been able to finish high school,” Gage said, “and we are able to help them achieve that goal and go on to achieve other career goals.”
To learn more about the GED program at LC State, visit the school’s Adult Learning Center at 400 Main Street in Lewiston, or online at www.lcsc.edu/adult-learning-center.