WILLISTON, N.D. - This fall, Stephanie Brackey became the first Williston State College student to master the 116 topics in ALEKS for MATH 210 Elementary Statistics with a pass score of 100%.

ALEKS was introduced at WSC in 2015 and WSC began using it in MATH 210 this past summer.

ALEKS, which stands for Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces, is software that designs a course shell for students based on their initial course assessment taken. Course shells provide each student a successful learning path with positive reinforcement along the way, and students learn the material at a rate that works best for them.

Brackey graduated from Williston High School in the spring of 2017. She arrived at WSC having completed AP Psychology and Early Entry courses in MATH 103 College Algebra and MATH 105 Trigonometry.

Brackey is in her 3rd semester at WSC and is on the President's Honor Roll list.  

"Stephanie was very dedicated," stated Wanda Meyer, Associate Professor of Mathematics and Brackey's MATH 210 instructor. "Every week, she averaged over 10 hours of work when only 5 were required. The same was true for weekly topics. Her learning chart for the course showed an exceptional steady increase in knowledge gained each week." 

Katie Peterson, the Director for Extended Learning and an adjunct instructor, has been Brackey's advisor since the fall of 2017 and saw her potential from the beginning.

"Since we first met, Stephanie has shown interest in pursuing a degree in Physical Therapy," explained Peterson. "Through conversations and evaluations of her ACT scores and Early Entry course grades, it was evident that she is a student with the ability to take a full load of high-level courses each semester like Chemistry, Biology, and higher-level Math. Knowing this has helped me guide Stephanie into a program of study that should equip her with the skills and courses she needs to transfer."

Introduced the fall of 2016, First-Term Advisors like Peterson are trained on best practices for first year students.

"Best practices include planning for on time graduation, transfer preparation, entering the workforce after completion of a degree or certificate, and course combinations that allow for higher success in classes," explained Kim Wray, Vice President for Academic Affairs. "Focusing on all of this has led to improved student retention and higher pass rates."

Upon completion of her Associates of Science degree in May 2019, Brackey plans to transfer to the University of Minnesota and major in Physical Therapy.

For more on this story, please contact Wanda Meyer at wanda.meyer@willistonstate.edu or at 701.774.4556.

For more information on WSC, please visit www.willistonstate.edu, call 1.888.863.9455, or stop by 1410 University Avenue, Williston, ND.