How a teen mom used an adult school opportunity to find career success and a seat on the school board
When Mary Sandoval was 17 years old, she became pregnant while still in high school. What may have initially seemed like an educational and career obstacle eventually shaped her future in a positive way. Fifty years later, Sandoval, now 63, is a member of the Fontana Unified School District’s (FUSD) Board of Education, helping direct its 45 schools, including its adult school.
When she was young, Fontana Adult School (FAS) proved critical to Sandoval’s success. As a new mother, she was unable to complete her education at a regular high school, an experience that later helped inform her approach as a member of the board.
“The school told my mom, ‘After she has her baby she can come back to school,’” Sandoval says.
But, when the time came to re-enroll, the same high school rejected her.
“I tried to re-enroll, and they said, ‘No, she needs to finish in the adult school,’” she says.
“In my era, all you really needed was a high school diploma, and sometimes you didn’t even need that, but I’m glad I went to adult school because that’s how I got my job.”
Mary Sandoval, Board Member, Fontana Unified School District Board of Education
So, Sandoval instead earned her GED from FAS, something she now credits with helping her take an important first step when it came to entering the workforce.
“That’s what got me in the door back then,” Sandoval says. “In my era, all you really needed was a high school diploma, and sometimes you didn’t even need that, but I’m glad I went to adult school because that’s how I got my job.”
Sandoval eventually went to work for the Inland Empire Job Corps, where she worked as an academic program’s administrator for 17 years. It was her experiences witnessing a troubling trend of illiteracy that led to her eventual run for the school board.
“It concerned me,” Sandoval remembers. “These kids, some were 16 and some were 24 years old, and they couldn’t read.”
Sandoval was elected to the board in 2014. As a member, she sits at public meetings and makes votes on a variety of decisions that affect the district.
While FAS programs are primarily aimed at adult learners, Sandoval says working with the school is generally the same as working with any other school. The main difference, she says, is the types of problems adult school learners face compared to the average teenager.
“Fees are something people have a hard time with, sometimes, or childcare,” Sandoval says.
The school addresses these issues where it can connect students to various resources in the area. Despite a student’s given difficulties, Sandoval says she knows the staff at the FAS is doing the best it can.
Years after her own time at FAS, Sandoval adds that she is happy that the school has expanded. As a board member, she is proud to be associated with it as they help people make their first step towards new futures.
“I’ve gone back a few times to their school to visit or I’ve been invited to talk to some of their adults and they call me the rock star,” Sandoval says. “But it’s not about me, it’s about trying to do better by our people and trying to help them.”
For more information on Fontana Adult School visit https://adultschool.fusd.net/
Written by Jacob Peterson
| Regions | Classes & Topics |
|---|---|
| Southern California | High School – Variety of Classes |
