A single mother finds new hope after receiving her high school diploma
Following the tragic death of her son’s father, Angela Byrd didn’t know where to turn when she found herself on government assistance as a single mother. She wanted to improve the lives of her and her son but was unsure how to do so. She found a future through the Southern Alameda County Consortium (SACC) for Adult Education.
“A career counselor at the Hayward welfare office looked at my file and saw I didn’t have a high school diploma,” she recalled. “She asked me if that was something I wanted to look into because a lot of jobs would require it. That’s when I learned about the adult school in Newark.”
As luck would have it, Byrd and her son were living in Newark. She enrolled in Newark Adult Education almost immediately.
“My goal now is to get a Ph.D.”
Angela Byrd, Student
“It was very easy to get to, the enrollment process was simple, it was inexpensive, and the program times fit into my schedule even though I was busy,” she said.
Due to a series of family hardships, Byrd never received her high school diploma. Newark Adult Education made it easy for her to earn her diploma and complete a medical assistant program at the same time. After graduation, Byrd was pleasantly surprised to find there were better paying jobs available to her than just the medical assistant work she had planned for.
“I have a good job now,” Byrd said proudly. “I was looking at medical assistant work for $13 or $14 an hour, and my current job in a medical setting pays twice that.”
Her new job has allowed Byrd and her son to move to a metropolitan area. She describes her life since losing her partner as a “journey,” but one that is now looking up. It is also not anywhere near over yet.
“I’m still going to school,” she said. Byrd is currently enrolled in college courses, studying communications and computer science. “My goal now is to get a Ph.D. — that’s what’s at the end of the tunnel for me.”
Most importantly, Byrd wants to spread the message that affordable education is out there — and goals can be reached even as you parent and work. She also believes it is possible to change your life, no matter how much it may have seemed to spiral away from you.
“I tell patients at the hospital about my experience,” she said. “And I want to help other single mothers who may not know how easy this process is or how to go about starting through SACC.”
For more Information visit sacc-adulted.org.
Written by Thea Marie Rood
| Regions | Classes |
|---|---|
| Bay Area California | Careers in Health Care – High School |
