OACE helps students build themselves a solid foundation
There are many reasons people immigrate to the United States: Some come for freedom, some come for work opportunities, many come to build a better life for their families. Rodolfo Juarez Ramirez came for love. After a long-distance relationship with his now-wife, he arrived from Mexico in 2018, but quickly realized love is not all you need: He would need to further his education and improve his English skills to find a job.
“I needed my GED to be able to achieve my goals and the GED opened those doors for me,” he said through an interpreter. “When I arrived in this country a few years ago, I didn’t speak much English, I spoke very few words, very limited, and some of the time I couldn’t even express myself.”
Today, Juarez Ramirez has a steady job as an outreach worker supporting patients at La Clinica De La Raza and is working on improving his English skills. He says neither of those things would have been possible without Oakland Adult and Career Education (OACE).
“I needed my GED to be able to achieve my goals and the GED opened those doors for me.”
Rodolfo Juarez Ramirez, OACE graduate
“The GED certificate was one of the requirements to obtain the job,” he says. “I feel more confident talking to people, … [and] now I can hold a conversation, and I can communicate myself correctly, and I can also assist patients in the clinic as well.”
Juarez Ramirez says he’s grateful for all the care and support OACE teachers and staff showed him, not only giving him the strong foundation needed to pass the GED exam and learn a completely new language, but the emotional support as well.
“He loved, loved, loved this class. He’s made life-long friends, he still keeps in touch with the teachers, the students, [Director] Kim Jones, and everyone,” says his wife, Sandra Gonzales. “He’s become more confident, he’s become more sure of himself, I see him having conversations with people he normally would not have. … This was the best thing he’s done.”
She also notes that he was asked to be the class’ keynote speaker for his 2020 graduation.
“For me, it was a great honor to be the speaker for my class because I was able to transmit, on behalf of all my classmates, all those things we wanted to say to our teachers,” Juarez Ramirez says. “Basically it was gratitude for helping to fulfill my dreams, not just mine but all of the students as well.”
Juarez Ramirez says that the education he got through OACE has bee life-changing: Earning his GED, learning English and improving his computer literacy skills have been immensely helpful.
“Just by enrolling in these classes, they’re already ahead, they’re already winners,” he says of his fellow students. “I want to tell people to never give up on pursuing their dreams, no matter how many times you stumble. We stumble, but we know that nothing is easy in life, nothing is given for free, but hard work will bring good rewards.”
For more information on how OACE can help you achieve your goals, visit them online at www.ousd.org/adult-and-career-education or call 510-879-1400.
Written by Anne Stokes
| Regions | Classes |
|---|---|
| Southern California | English as a Second Language – High School |
