Graduate of 2015
I had a friend that I met when I arrive from Mexico. He had already passed two exams. Learning that I could get my high school equivalency certificate sparked my interest. Since I was just fresh coming from Mexico I thought “if I don’t do it now, it might be difficult to do it later.” I wanted that certificate in case I needed it for a job and I also wanted to better myself in this country.
When I got here from Mexico my first job was working in the fields picking grapes. That was how I met the friend who told me about HEP. I liked working in the fields, but it was arduous work. I have tremendous respect for the people that have done this work their entire lives, especially for the women.
My studies with HEP were fast because I had already studied several semesters at university. The only difference I found was in the Math subject because I realized that I had already forgotten some. But the rest, like Reading and Writing, was not as complicated for me and I felt familiar with those subjects. There were things that were hard to remember but the tutoring I received from the program was very helpful.
It's been seven years since I completed my studies in the HEP program. After graduating I began working in a home cleaning company. I am now a manager at this company, and I spend most of my time in the office. There are a lot of jobs that don’t ask for an equivalency certificate, but to me, getting it was more than an academic achievement, it was a personal achievement; to know that it can be done! Every time I look at that certificate it motivates me to continue forward.
I have continued to take college classes from time to time. I am a little behind in learning English because it is very different now that most classes are online. I feel I can’t put the same effort and I miss the in-person contact and being able to converse with various people. I don’t need to speak English in my job as much and that could be a good thing but a bad thing at the same time. That’s the reason I haven’t put as much effort into learning English, but I know I need to. I use the computer a lot, it is my tool at work. I was already familiar with using the computer since I worked several years in a government office in Mexico. In my job, I got the chance to get a promotion precisely because I was familiar with computers, and I had my GED certificate. I have been working as a manager for two years now where I deal with a lot of paperwork, and oversee a work team of twelve people. It is not easy work, but when it comes to physical labor, it is a lot better to clean homes than to work in the fields.
My kids and my husband have always been supportive. To my kids it was very touching to know their mom was going to school again. On the day of my graduation, they were there clapping for me, and these are moments that made me feel so proud. Sometimes we are not sure what to do and we don’t want to ask questions or figure out what we could do, leaving us stuck in one spot. We must remember that even if it might take a while, or a little bit, si se puede!
I brought my kids to this country when they were almost adults and I know that it was difficult for them to learn a new language and go to school but they see how I was also putting the effort to help them do it too. Now I want to continue doing this work so that one day I could have my own business, but I know I need to improve my English, so that is my next goal.