A stay-at-home mom builds on new ambitions as a pharmacy technician
After years of being a stay-at-home-mom of four children, Janna Cordero was unsure if she had what it took to re-enter the workforce. Even though she had graduated with a degree in hotel and restaurant management in the Philippines, her credentials were not accepted here in the United States.
To find new opportunities, Cordero decided to enroll in Fontana Adult School’s (FAS) pharmacy technician pathway program.
“I was skeptical if I could do it,” she says. “I’ve been really wanting to go into pharmacy [work] since [before I was married], but I’m so scared of math.”
Finally, she told herself to just jump into the new opportunity.
“I said, ‘I’m gonna just do it’—you know, just face your fear,” Cordero says.
“In America, you have privileges here, you just need to go out there and do the work.”
Janna Cordero, Pharmacy Tech Graduate, Fontana Adult School
Cordero graduated from Fontana’s pharmacy technician program in May 2024, and was able to find a job in her chosen field.
There are several reasons why the school’s program was right for her, Cordero says, including, most importantly, cost: Other public and private school tuition expenses can run up to $40,000 compared to FAS’ pathway, which costs less than $2,000.
Another important element, she adds, was how supportive and flexible her teachers were while she and her husband, who works two jobs himself, raised their family. The personalized, one-on-one attention teachers gave helped her learn and, even when she was not able to make every class, teachers were willing to help her catch up when she could.
“That really helps a lot of us moms, you know? Sometimes we don’t have our own time, and we’re kind of overwhelmed with so much work. And not just for ourselves, but because we have kids, and we prioritize their needs first,” she says. “You can be honest with them about your situation is and they always work with you.”
Cordero also credits the support of her teachers and FAS staff for helping her to successfully re-enter the workforce. While in the program, her teachers connected her with an externship at a pharmacy, where she was eventually hired on as staff.
Additionally, staff aided her in accessing her original educational credentials from the Philippines.
“It was life-changing, I can do anything, I feel like I’m going to go back to school again because of that experience,” she says, adding that she encourages others to take the leap.
“I’m telling my kids too. I tell them that here in America, you have privileges,” she says. “You just need to go out there and do the work.”
For more information on Fontana Adult School’s pharmacy technician pathway program visit: https://adultschool.fusd.net/
Written by Anne Stokes
| Regions | Classes & Topics |
|---|---|
| Southern California | Careers in Health Care |
