He earned his GED, now Miguel wants to move up in his company
Miguel Gonzalez dreams of working with computers. But to do that, he first had to go back and finish something he started years earlier — high school.
As a child, Gonzalez attended elementary school in his native country, Mexico. When his family moved to Southern California, he was unable to continue his education.
“I came from a poor family and my father didn’t have the income to support everyone’s education,” he says. “A couple of my older brothers finished their education, but, in my case, I worked to help support the family.”
He took classes to learn English because he says that was important for finding jobs in this country.
The family moved around Southern California, and Miguel eventually married and had children. The moves and his family obligations only allowed him to attend school off and on.
Gonzalez eventually earned his GED and then his high school diploma at the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Adult Education Center. Not content to stop there, he then enrolled in classes at Santa Monica College.
He likes that he can find classes that fit around his current work schedule at a local hospital, where he does clerical tasks on a computer.
“I check in clients, make doctor appointments, do work orders for departments, handle requisitions for supplies using two different programs and deal with vendors. It’s all about computers,” he says.
However, his goal extends beyond those responsibilities.
“I want to learn Express and Excel — anything related to expenses and productivity in the finance department,” he says.
“Ultimately, my goal is to be able to get a degree, transfer to a different department at the hospital and work in the business office. I should be able to manage more.”
Gonzalez has achieved past goals of learning English after immigrating from Mexico, raising and supporting his family, getting his high school diploma and working in the field of computers. He’s certain to meet his next goal — a computer science certificate from Santa Monica College.
“I only need four classes. I’ve taken one and have three more classes to go,” he says
“Ultimately, my goal is to be able to get a degree, transfer to a different department at the hospital and work in the business office.”
Miguel Gonzalez, Santa Monica College student
For more information, visit www.santamonica4adulted.org.
Written by Tinka Davi
| Regions | Classes |
|---|---|
| South Coast California | Careers in Business-Technology – High School |
