A pharmacy technician graduate trades the late shift for a family-friendly schedule
Is it always darkest before the dawn? Perhaps—but Maria Villanueva knows the dawn can actually be incredible. It’s just one of the life-changing lessons she learned at Fontana Adult School (FAS).
Villanueva, 35, a recent graduate of the school’s pharmacy technician training program, has found a career she loves that allows her to spend more time with her two kids. But before the sunny ending she had to work through the darkness. Literally.
Villanueva, who was working nights at Costco, didn’t get home until 11 p.m. most nights. That didn’t leave much time for family.
“I’d get up at 6:30 a.m. to make the kids breakfast and pack their lunches. I’d send them off to school and I wouldn’t see them again until the next morning,” she says. “I knew I wanted something better for our lives—and then a flyer for Fontana Adult School landed in my mailbox.”
“I’d tell those who are starting out in adult school to take advantage of the help. Your teachers want you to succeed.”
Maria Villanueva, Pharmacy Technician Graduate, Fontana Adult School
Villanueva took the opportunity and enrolled at FAS in July 2023, starting with two prerequisite courses in medical terminology and math. The subject matter was challenging, she says, but her teacher, Brian Lyons, tutored her one-on-one and encouraged her not to give up.
Her husband, Francisco, also provided support. Even with the strong backup, however, her punishing schedule made her doubt her ability to finish the course.
Villanueva still worked at Costco until 11 at night—but now after work she was studying her pharmacy coursework until 2 or 3 in the morning, then getting up early to get the kids off.
“Trust me – it was tough,” she says “This lasted for months.”
Villanueva says she almost lost faith when she took the final exam.
“As soon as I finished taking the test, I called Francisco. I was crying. I told him, ‘I tried my best. If I don’t pass, I want you to know I did this for us—for my family to have a better future,’” she says.
Villanueva’s husband reassured her she should be proud of herself. Her instructor, Lyons, told her not to worry.
In the end, she not only passed, she aced the test.
“I got 99 percent on that final,” Villanueva says. “I was one of the top students in my class.”
Villanueva also completed a 240-hour externship at two local pharmacies, then passed her technician licensing test. In July, she went to work at Rialto Family Pharmacy, where her hours are 10-6:30, which means she gets to spend every evening at home with her family.
“I love the work, I love my co-workers, I love the workplace environment,” she says. “You learn something new every day. To do something I love means so much.”
She advises people considering adult school to take the plunge.
“Just go for it—If you don’t try, you’ll never know what you’re capable of doing,” she says. “Adult school is so supportive—Mr. Lyons is the best teacher I ever had.”
She offers another bit of wisdom for new students.
“I’d tell those who are starting out, take advantage of the help,” she says. “Your teachers want you to succeed.”
Villanueva adds that a big difference between adult school and her earlier education is the maturity of the students.
“Adult school is serious—this is your future,” she says. “You’re trying to make your life better.”
Now, Villanueva is enjoying her new life.
“I feel really great about myself,” she says. “I accomplished something that I struggled so hard to do. For me to conquer that, was big.”
For more information on Fontana Adult School visit: https://adultschool.fusd.net/
Written by Dorothy Korber
| Regions | Classes & Topics |
|---|---|
| Southern California | Careers in Health Care |
