After learning English, this graduate gives back to school and new students
Greater Los Angeles is one of the most diverse regions in the U.S., largely populated by non-English speakers who often find the challenge of a foreign language an obstacle to education, employment and the overall goal of improving their lives.
As so many have found, free or low-cost adult education can be the pathway to personal fulfillment and a more secure future. Viridiana Preciado of Bloomington discovered that first hand after she and her father emigrated from Mexico six years ago.
Though she spoke no English, “I wanted to continue my education,” says Preciado, now 25. “A neighbor, who was a preschool teacher, recommended Fontana Adult School. As soon as I walked into the front office, they answered every question I had.”
“Adult education is really like paying it forward to society.”
Ruzanna Hernandez, Assistant principal, Fontana Adult School
Within two weeks of arriving in California, she was enrolled in the school’s English as a Second Language program (ESL). A year and a half later, she had earned both her ESL and high school equivalency certificates.
“I really love that school, it opened a lot of doors for me,” she says. “They really want to give their students the tools to transition to not only learning English and getting their GED, but to college and getting citizenship.”
Preciado continued her education at a local junior college, earning an associate’s degree in sociology and universal studies. Last spring, she was accepted at CSU San Bernardino.
“I’m taking the social work program,” she says. “I really like working with and helping people, especially adult education students.”
“Adult education is really like paying it forward to society,” says Fontana Adult School assistant principal Ruzanna Hernandez. “As soon as Viridiana becomes a social worker, she’s going to contribute to society not just by working and making wages, but by the fact that she’s going to help people.”
Meanwhile, Preciado works a full-time job at a community clinic, helping patients with paperwork and appointments.
She has volunteered her time at Fontana Adult School, going from classroom to classroom, telling ESL students her story and encouraging them to stay with the program.
“They have a lot of responsibilities outside of school (such as) work and families, so sometimes they put their education as not a priority,” she says. “We understand that, so we try to motivate them.
“I tell them that the school helped me achieve my goals, and that if they work hard, it’s going to be worth it in the end.”
To learn more about Fontana Adult School, visit www.fusd.net.
Written by Allen Pierleoni
| Regions | Classes |
|---|---|
| Southern California | English as a Second Language – High School |
