Submitted Photo Mariam Wilson, of Minot Air Force Base, is Adult Education Student of the Year. Born in Thailand, she grew up in Japan and speaks several languages, but says English is the hardest one she has learned.

North Dakota Association for Lifelong Learning (NDALL) Adult Education Student of the Year Mariam Wilson speaks several languages but she spoke almost no English two years ago.

“English is the hardest one I learned, “said Wilson, whose determined effort and dedication to study in her English as a Second Language and GED classes helped her improve her fluency by leaps and bounds.

The Student of the Year Award is given to an individual who is a current or recent adult student/graduate, demonstrates determination and perseverance, and sacrifices to achieve his/her educational goals. Wilson received the award Sept. 23.

Wilson moved to Minot Air Force Base two years ago this coming January with her husband, Beau Wilson, who is stationed at the base. The couple has been together for eight years and married for four. They met when her husband was stationed in Japan but, because he learned Japanese when he was stationed there, the couple spoke Japanese together. Mariam Wilson said they also communicated at first using body language and Google Translate.

Since English is not commonly spoken in Japan, foreigners who want to do business in Japan must learn the native language. Wilson, who was born in Thailand, immigrated to Japan with her family when she was 10 years old and learned to speak and read Japanese when she was a child. Later, she also learned other languages, including Arabic.

When the couple moved to the United States, all her friends told her that Minot AFB was a boring place and there is not much to do in North Dakota. Wilson said it’s true that there was not a lot of activity here but the one thing she could do was to pursue her education. She wanted to work and there are not a lot of employment opportunities available in the area for people who do not have a diploma. Wilson was educated in Japan and it would be expensive to return to Japan and have her educational credentials from Japan translated into English. When she saw an advertisement on Facebook for the Adult Learning Center’s GED program, which offers a high school equivalency, she decided it would be a great opportunity.

She said the first week she attended classes was really frustrating and she would go home and cry because she didn’t understand what was being said.

“I told myself, ‘You can do this. You speak five languages already!’ said Wilson.

She had been working on the base but decided to quit her job so she could pursue her studies full time. Her boss tried to persuade her to stay and said she could study and keep working but Wilson said ‘No, I need education.’

Wilson signed up for classes at the Adult Learning Cener and took ESL classes and GED classes from 9 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Then she would go home, make supper for her husband, and study from seven in the evening until one the next morning. Then it was time to get up and do the same thing all over again.

After a while, Wilson was the only one left in one of her classes at the Adult Learning Center. She earned her GED after four months.

Now she is enrolled in a program through Dakota College at Bottineau to become a medical assistant. It is also challenging for her to learn medical terminology but Wilson has applied her determination and wonderful work ethic to her college studies as well and has earned A’s in her college classes. She said her ultimate goal is to enroll in medical school. She would like to work in psychology.

Wilson said she is grateful to the Adult Learning Center for the free education she has received and she thinks more American students should take advantage of the education available there.

“Mariam showed up to school with a goal in mind,” said Marcy Beck, teacher at the Minot Adult Learning Center, in information provided to The Minot Daily News by the Adult Learning Center. “Every day she came early and prepared to learn. It was an honor for all the staff and students to see her succeed and obtain her GED.”

(Prairie Profile is a weekly feature profiling interesting people in our region. We welcome suggestions from our readers. Call Regional Editor Eloise Ogden at 857-1944 or call 1-800-735-3229. You also can send email suggestions to eogden@minotdailynews.com.)