|
|
|
After overcoming difficulties and challenges, 15 adults earned their high school diplomas through the Dodge City Education Center. The center is an educational program supported by USD 443 and Southwest Plains Regional Service Center 626.
Five of them recounted how at first, they dropped our of school. But later on, they were capable of attending school despite having families to support.
The stories
Rocio Araceli Marino was visibly emotional. The mother of two recounted how hard it was for her to quit school in New Mexico her senior year because her parents moved to Dodge City.
Upon her arrival to Dodge 11 years ago, she refused to attend school again because she wanted to graduate with the school mates she left in New Mexico. Instead, she worked in a packing plant for six years.
In 2009, she returned to school for only five months because she was unemployed. Then Marino found a job.
But she persisted and went to DCEC to take the 24 credits she needed to earn a high school diploma. It took her two years.
"My motivation to go back to school came from my frustration of no find a good job, and because I realized that it is not enough to only speak English to get a decent job if you at least do not have a high school diploma or more education," she said.
Marino will enroll in online classes at the University of Phoenix, Ariz. to pursue a criminal justice career.
"This career has always attracted me," she said.
A father of two
Manuel Gerardo Garcia, a father of two, has worked at a local packing plant for 16 years. He moved to Dodge City in 1988. He dropped out of high school in his senior year, when he was 17, to economically support his parents.
He said his wife and his two daughters encouraged him to go back to school. So he started attending DCEC three years ago. Garcia only needed two and a half credits to get his high school diploma, but he only got one credit. Three months ago, he returned to school and finally completed the last credit.
"The most difficult thing for me was to come from work very tired and to attend classes. But it has paid off for me and my goal is to attend college to pursue an electricty or refrigeration technician career," he said.
His daughter, Xiomara, who is a middle-school student, said she felt very happy to see her father complete his secondary education.
"Of course, we got to celebrate my father's achievement," she said.
Trouble in Liberal
Ernestina Ramirez Garcia is a mother of four and she dropped out of school in her sophomore year while living in Liberal in 1998. She said she didn't have much interest in school then.
"I was very shy too. And since my English was broken, other students made fun of me. And it demoralized me," she said. "But two years ago, I became determined to try again. But I quit for one year because my fourth child was born and it was very difficult to cope with family and school."
Garcia has worked in packing plants for seven years, but now her goal is to try to get a scholarship to pursue a criminal justice career.
Supporting his mother
Gaudencio Vega was one of the two graduated speakers. He came to live in Dodge City in 1992. Vega had dropped out of school in Mexico to support his mother, who was sick.
A year and a half ago, he returned to school to improve his English and expand his knowledge, he said.
He had worked in packing plants and construction for seven years. Now he works for the city's sport's department.
"In the meantime, I realized the kind of works I was performing was not the lifestyle that I wanted to live with, since I also wanted to improve my family conditions. The most challenging for me, through this overcoming process, was the language barrier," he said. "Now I believe all positive things for your life are possible if we endure with willingness and persistence."
Vega's goal is to attend college to pursue an electricity or plumbing career.
From South Carolina to Kansas
From Williamsburg, S.C., Keisha Miller, single mother, moved to Dodge City three years ago. She dropped our of school in South Carolina. She moved to South Dakota, where she tried to get a GED, but it was very difficult for her because she was facing many personal problems.
Two years ago, she went to DCEC determined to earn her high school diploma, and she succeeded.
"It was my two children who inspired me to regain my secondary education. Now my goal is to pursue a criminal investigation career and not to stop there," she said. "But continue pursuring a superior education."
After overcoming difficulties and challenges, 15 adults earned their high school diplomas through the Dodge City Education Center. The center is an educational program supported by USD 443 and Southwest Plains Regional Service Center 626.
Five of them recounted how at first, they dropped our of school. But later on, they were capable of attending school despite having families to support.
The stories
Rocio Araceli Marino was visibly emotional. The mother of two recounted how hard it was for her to quit school in New Mexico her senior year because her parents moved to Dodge City.
Upon her arrival to Dodge 11 years ago, she refused to attend school again because she wanted to graduate with the school mates she left in New Mexico. Instead, she worked in a packing plant for six years.
In 2009, she returned to school for only five months because she was unemployed. Then Marino found a job.
But she persisted and went to DCEC to take the 24 credits she needed to earn a high school diploma. It took her two years.
"My motivation to go back to school came from my frustration of no find a good job, and because I realized that it is not enough to only speak English to get a decent job if you at least do not have a high school diploma or more education," she said.
Marino will enroll in online classes at the University of Phoenix, Ariz. to pursue a criminal justice career.
"This career has always attracted me," she said.
A father of two
Manuel Gerardo Garcia, a father of two, has worked at a local packing plant for 16 years. He moved to Dodge City in 1988. He dropped out of high school in his senior year, when he was 17, to economically support his parents.
He said his wife and his two daughters encouraged him to go back to school. So he started attending DCEC three years ago. Garcia only needed two and a half credits to get his high school diploma, but he only got one credit. Three months ago, he returned to school and finally completed the last credit.
"The most difficult thing for me was to come from work very tired and to attend classes. But it has paid off for me and my goal is to attend college to pursue an electricty or refrigeration technician career," he said.
His daughter, Xiomara, who is a middle-school student, said she felt very happy to see her father complete his secondary education.
"Of course, we got to celebrate my father's achievement," she said.
Trouble in Liberal
Ernestina Ramirez Garcia is a mother of four and she dropped out of school in her sophomore year while living in Liberal in 1998. She said she didn't have much interest in school then.
"I was very shy too. And since my English was broken, other students made fun of me. And it demoralized me," she said. "But two years ago, I became determined to try again. But I quit for one year because my fourth child was born and it was very difficult to cope with family and school."
Garcia has worked in packing plants for seven years, but now her goal is to try to get a scholarship to pursue a criminal justice career.
Supporting his mother
Gaudencio Vega was one of the two graduated speakers. He came to live in Dodge City in 1992. Vega had dropped out of school in Mexico to support his mother, who was sick.
A year and a half ago, he returned to school to improve his English and expand his knowledge, he said.
He had worked in packing plants and construction for seven years. Now he works for the city's sport's department.
"In the meantime, I realized the kind of works I was performing was not the lifestyle that I wanted to live with, since I also wanted to improve my family conditions. The most challenging for me, through this overcoming process, was the language barrier," he said. "Now I believe all positive things for your life are possible if we endure with willingness and persistence."
Vega's goal is to attend college to pursue an electricity or plumbing career.
From South Carolina to Kansas
From Williamsburg, S.C., Keisha Miller, single mother, moved to Dodge City three years ago. She dropped our of school in South Carolina. She moved to South Dakota, where she tried to get a GED, but it was very difficult for her because she was facing many personal problems.
Two years ago, she went to DCEC determined to earn her high school diploma, and she succeeded.
"It was my two children who inspired me to regain my secondary education. Now my goal is to pursue a criminal investigation career and not to stop there," she said. "But continue pursuring a superior education."
A stable program
Graduates were presented with their high school diplomas by USD 443 Superintendent Alan Cunningham and by Dodge City High School principal Jacque Feist.
Dodge City manager Ken Strobel addresed the graduates and emphasized the importance of family support for adults who want to go back to school.
"This is the opportunity for you to start climbing the education ladder and continue persisting and overcoming your future challenges," he said.
Nacho Sumaya, director of DCEC, said the program has graduated more than 100 adults since it started ten years ago. He said this educational program keeps stable despite the constraints that may come out of the state's education budget.
"Work and school schedule is the most difficult part adult students face, and it's also the factor that decreases the number of students every year," he said. "But the program is successful and well-appreciated for people."
Manuel Anazola, Alma Graciela Andrade, Maria Gonzalez Arias, Oscar Villa Castaneda, Johnny Eveland Jr., Ernestina Ramirez Garcia, Manuel Gerardo Garcia, Juana Lopez, Rocio Araceli Marino, Keisha T. Miller, Donald D. Perkins, Cindy Kay Ruiz, Gaudencia Vega, Martin Villar and Jennifer Walters graduated.
