Fontana Adult School programs help student become a citizen and rebuild his career
Joao Paulo Democko immigrated to the United States to escape violence and war. He stayed for love.
“I’ve traveled around the world to different countries. When I (came to) the USA, I felt freedom,” he says. “When I came here, I found love. … I’m now married, we have wonderful kids and I’m staying here for those reasons.”
In 2015, Democko emigrated from Columbia, where he was an emergency room doctor. When he first arrived, he found work in restaurants and as a manager, but he wanted to return to the medical field to serve his new community.
“When you go to the adult school, you feel like it’s never too late for your dreams.”
Joao Paulo Democko, Fontana Adult School student
To do that, however, he needed to improve his English skills. He enrolled in Fontana Adult School’s English as a Second Language (ESL) classes to become more fluent as well as to prepare for citizenship. While there, he learned about the school’s medical assistant program.
“My first contact with the school was for English class. And then when I was there, I was open to (enrolling in) another program,” he says. “I’m (studying) medical assisting because it’s a way for me to start to do more for others and to look for better opportunities for me here.”
Not only was he impressed by the quality of instruction he received, Democko says he was also impressed by the support he got from teachers and staff.
“The school not only supports you in looking for jobs for you, they do more: They (care) how you feel during the class, they support you when they give a high-quality (education), everything helps,” he says. “You feel like somebody cares about you all the time.”
Democko recently transferred to Chaffey College, where he hopes to graduate from its medical assisting program in February 2021. He’s also on track to complete his ESL coursework and citizenship requirements by the end of next year. Ultimately, he says he’d like to become a registered nurse, a career path he says has been made possible by the skills he’s learned at Fontana Adult School.
“In adult school, they give you the power to do anything you want no matter the situation … They gave me the power to have my dreams,” he says. “I always have hope because it’s never too late. When you go to the adult school, you feel like it’s never too late for your dreams.”
For more information on the classes and services Fontana Adult School offers, visit www.fusd.net/adultschool or call 909-357-5490.
Written by Anne Stokes
| Regions | Classes |
|---|---|
| Southern California | Careers in Health Care – English as a Second Language |
