The adult education Aspire Program at Eastern Gateway Community College (EGCC) held their final graduation, July 19th. 

With EGCC dissolving due to financial issues, the Aspire Program ending an era but is beginning a new one and moving forward with a new name at the Jefferson County Educational Service Center. 

"This program will not stop," said Karla Martin, senior executive director with Aspire. 

Now called Eastern Ohio Aspire, it will still offer educational services for adults and help with high school equivalency diplomas as well as other services, funded by the Aspire grant through the Ohio Department of Education. 

Eastern Ohio Aspire covers the counties listed below: 

• Columbiana,
• Mahoning,
• Jefferson,
• Belmont,
• Harrison, and
• Carroll.

Classes are continuing at Ohio Means Jobs sites in each of the counties.

"Many new plans are in the works and it truly is a new era," said Jeremy Miller, executive director of Aspire.

Eastern Ohio Aspire can be reached at aspire@jcesc.org, and more information will be added to the webpage found here.