When COVID separated Abby Solano and her family from her son, Vista Adult School helped her adjust to a new life in the United States
Maria Abigail Solano—who goes by Abby—had built quite a life in her native Mexico. The mother of two boys, both of whom were born in the United States, she was a licensed civil lawyer living in a home she built with her husband. Then, the COVID-19 crisis struck.
At the time, her eldest son was completing his first year of training in the Marine Corps, and she frequently traveled to the United States to visit him. With the pandemic, however, crossing the border became much more difficult, and she was unable to see him. This prompted the family to make the move to the United States.
“We lived well, but if I don’t have my family complete, I cannot be happy,” Solano says. “That was the main reason that we are here in the United States.”
“I am here to support my children. They are young and they don’t already have their life planned. My husband and I, we are a strong team, and we always work together for the family and my personal goals.”
Abby Solano, Vista Adult School Graduate and Palomar College Student
Knowing she needed to improve her language skills, Solano enrolled in English as a second language classes at Vista Adult School (VAS) in 2022. After excelling in these classes, she decided to take advantage of the high school diploma (HSD) program at the school as well. She graduated in June and is now a student at Palomar College.
Solano said she enjoyed her time at VAS because her teachers were kind. With their help, she learned to write and read in English as well as understand the basics of style and grammar, such as how to properly format paragraphs. She spent over eight hours a day studying for her courses and credits her husband and children with helping her achieve her educational goals. She says her educational efforts likewise help her support her children’s development.
“I am here to support my children,” Solano says. “They are young and they don’t already have their life planned. My husband and I, we are a strong team, and we always work together for the family and my personal goals.”
Solano says her sons were initially surprised to learn she wanted to study to obtain a high school diploma in the U.S. and that they are very proud of her work doing so, viewing her as an example to continue their own education.
“When they came to me at my graduation they were so happy, and told me that I’m presenting a good example (that) they have to continue,” Solano says.
Solano also enjoyed helping her fellow classmates. She says she would ask her peers to study alongside her, and that two of her classmates who are still enrolled at VAS expressed how encouraged they were by her receiving her diploma.
“They said, ‘If you finished the high school, everybody can do it and everybody is behind you, following you,’” Solano says. “That was so kind, so nice for them (to say).”
Another way she encouraged her peers was by preparing and giving presentations to the different levels of ESL students for her graduation project, sharing her academic journey in the HSD program and her personal experiences in the classroom.
“(They asked) a lot of questions about how I did it, if it was hard or easy,” Solano says. “It was interesting and I say to everybody, ‘You can do it. I did and you can do it because you need to have a goal in mind.’”
Solano encourages others in the ESL program to seek an education beyond just learning English so they can become knowledgeable on topics like history and the economy in order to become more involved in their respective communities. She would like to continue inspiring and helping others achieve their goals and says she is working with her counselors at Palomar College to pursue a teaching career.
“I want to study something to teach to new people and to encourage them to continue studying. (I also want) to support my sons,” she says, noting her youngest child is preparing to enter high school. “I think that is my goal, to push them to continue.”
To learn more about Visa Adult School, visit www.vistaadultschool.org.
Written by Justine Chahal
| Regions | Classes |
|---|---|
| Southern California | English as a Second Language |
