Fillmore Adult School student Oscar Magana found his calling—and employment—through computer classes
Over the years, Oscar Magana tried several community college courses hoping to find an educational path he could commit to, but nothing seemed to stick. That all changed when he enrolled in his first computer class at Fillmore Adult School (FAS), which ignited in him a love of learning and led to an exciting career path.
Magana was searching for something to challenge him and to make better use of his time as he was caring for one of his parents, and also to free him from a life of menial labor.
“A reason I went back to school was the fact that I could never obtain a job other than what required physical labor … the laborious aspect of the jobs was not difficult, but working in an unprofessional setting took a grander toll on my psyche than any form of labor ever has,” Magana says. “My escape from that was to go back to school and to be around professionals.”
“He took one class, then another and another, and he showed a real talent for working with computers. Oscar is a perfect example of how adult schools can be used to propel one’s career.”
Blanca Mendieta, Fillmore Adult School Principal
More than a decade earlier, a friend of Magana’s who works in the information technology (IT) industry tried to persuade him to follow that career path, but Magana always found his relationship to school too difficult, which led him to calling it quits several times. He says the program at FAS “changed him forever.”
After taking classes at FAS, Magana not only did well, but excelled in them. He was such an amazing student that the school district eventually hired him as a district computer technician. He’s now concurrently enrolled in classes at Ventura College as he continues to attend FAS,
“What do I love about this job? Everything! Everything about this job makes me want to wake up every morning and go to work,” he says. “I have never been as excited and grateful for a job as I have with this one. I am grateful for the opportunity that the Fillmore Adult School has given me and what has come of it.”
Magana didn’t just impress the school district, but the principal of his school, Blanca Mendieta, as well.
“He took one class, then another and another, and he showed a real talent for working with computers,” Mendieta says. “Oscar is a perfect example of how adult schools can be used to propel one’s career.”
Magana says he’s thankful to everyone involved in his educational and career journey thus far, and specifically mentioned Mendieta and Fillmore Unified School District Director of Human Resources Todd Schieferle.
“I feel that [adult schools are] important because they give people a sense of accomplishment, that each student matters, no matter the age or background,” Magana says. “They give people a chance to further their careers and grow as an individual to better themselves and their communities.”
For more information on how Fillmore Adult School can help you achieve your education and career goals, go to adultschool.fillmoreusd.org. For more information about other schools and programs that are part of the Ventura County Adult Education Consortium, go to vcaec.org.
Written by Sonia Pagan
| Regions | Classes & Topics |
|---|---|
| South Coast California | Careers in Business-Technology |
