A busy school schedule helps one immigrant pursue educational opportunities and build community
Bimani Dissanayake likes to keep a full calendar. When the 23-year-old first immigrated to the United States from Sri Lanka in 2022, she hardly knew anyone, and found her initial months in a new country isolating. She knew she needed to find a community of support.
“I came here alone and I missed my family, so I just wanted to stay busy,” Dissanayake says.
Eventually, she decided she should fit school into that schedule as well. On the advice of her aunt, Dissanayake enrolled in classes at the Fontana Adult School (FAS) so that she get started on her studies and also establish California residency before transferring to a four-year college. The school, which serves students in San Bernardino County and the surrounding area, offers everything from high school diploma classes to career pathway programs. Unlike many of the school’s students, who opt to just take one or two classes, Dissanayake opted to sign up for four classes: digital media, business office, a paraprofessional program, and English as a second language (ESL).
Dissanayake enjoyed that her classes were taught in person rather than online, which allowed her the opportunity to build camaraderie with her classmates. She also found support through the school’s staff—from the front office employees to the security guards.
Her teachers, in particular, supported her and made her feel comfortable in a new environment.
“The teachers are very friendly and kind,” Dissanayake says. “If I had any questions, they helped me a lot.”
“The person who I am, my first step and my foundation, is [because of] Fontana Adult School.”
Bimani Dissanayake, Fontana Adult School Student
In addition to her classes, Dissanayake immersed herself in extracurricular activities. She volunteered as both a front office assistant and a teacher’s aide in a computer class. Her favorite moment came when she made an anti-bullying public service announcement video, which she submitted to the Fontana Unified School District Film Festival and which won first place.
Dissanayake achieved all this in the span of a year, from January to December 2023. Now, she attends Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga, where she is serves as a senator in student government as well as vice president of finance for the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. She also has a part-time job as a student associate in the International Student Center.
Dissanayake plans to eventually transfer to California Polytechnic State University in fall 2025, where she will major in civil engineering. She already knows how she wants to use her degree.
“I want to start my own engineering business and nonprofit,” Dissanayake says.
Dissanayake’s family helps motivate her to continue her academic journey. Her parents cheer her on from Sri Lanka, while her sister is following a similar educational path, currently working toward a master’s degree in Australia. Now a green card holder, Dissanayake plans to bring her parents to the United States in two years, when she becomes a full citizen.
As Dissanayake moves from community college to a university to a career and beyond, she will always appreciate her experience at Fontana Adult School.
“The person who I am, my first step and my foundation, is because of Fontana Adult School,” Dissanayake says. “I’m truly thankful for them.”
For more information on Fontana Adult School’s high school diploma program visit: https://adultschool.fusd.net/
by Jimmy Flynn
| Regions | Classes & Topics |
|---|---|
| Southern California | English as a Second Language |
