April 2023
Adult Ed is Key in 2023!
Diana Lopez Ramos
Program:
English as a Second Language
Good day! My name is Diana Lopez Ramos. Thank you very much for taking me into account in this nomination, I feel very happy!
Upon arriving in this country and not understanding the language, I felt the need to learn English in order to communicate with other people and to help my children. I was asking and searching the Internet and I found Visalia Adult School. What I enjoy the most is meeting people from other places and it doesn't matter where we are from, we all have a common purpose which is to learn the English language, prepare ourselves and get ahead.
The greatest impact for me is my family, thanks to their support I continue preparing myself, because they are my greatest motivation and because of them I want to be better every day. My values are honesty, responsibility, sensitivity and gratitude. My advice to other people who are thinking about attending VAS is that they stop thinking about it and encourage themselves to prepare to find better opportunities and thus improve their quality of life, because the key to success is education and it is never too late for a start. Thank you VAS for welcoming me with open arms and giving me the opportunity to learn every day and be part of your students.
congratulatory messages and shout out
Diana has been a faithful and committed student since she began in August. She has improved her English so much in every category. A couple of months ago, she also took on getting her GED in Spanish. She is also a wife and mother of 2. Due to some recent challenges at home, it has been necessary for Diana to miss a day of school every week. But that doesn't deter her from her commitment to being an excellent student. She always asks what the homework is or what we will be working on that day. She returns ready as though she'd never missed the day. She is a respected and trusted helper to her peers and does so with joy and encouragement. She is ready for the next level of English. When she finishes her GED, which will be soon, she will advance. It has been a wonderful pleasure to have Diana as a student and know her as a person, as well!
-Instructor, Judy Moxley
Annie Garcia
Program:
Medical Billing & Coding (CTE)
I am in the medical billing and coding class. I found other places but came upon finding Visalia Adult School and enrolled initially in Office Skills and Business classes. After meeting the prerequisite for the placement test, I was able to finally enroll this semester. My teacher, Laura is a good teacher. The class is not easy but I worked really hard on not giving up; it's fast paced. There is a lot to learn and to retain. But this is something I have wanted to do, it has challenged me but I set my mind to it.
What I enjoyed most about this program is that I now understand it. I can see and understand the steps to solving the codes. My teacher is very knowledgeable. She communicates with me and I enjoy the class. I ask a lot of questions and my teacher is opened to providing me with answers. When I first enrolled in this class, I had ideas about what it would be all about but now that I am actually in it, I enjoy it so much more than I imagined. I learn different from others and it is a passion of mine to help others to learn too. Let me know if you need help, and I can help you learn this class. Don’t be scared or shy to ask for help, whether it’s in this class or in any other area of your life.
I value respect, honesty, and sincerity. But most importantly, I value respect. Communication is important to me and people often think that this means that I should like to talk a lot. But the truth is, Listening is most important in communication. I do not judge people by how they look, I hope others will not judge me that way as well. It’s so important that we get to know each other more than just what we see from one another. I value sincerity.
The greatest impact on shaping who I am today are my kids. My kids have helped to shape and mold me. I thought that as a parent, I was supposed to shape them to be better but they’ve done this for me. … they helped shape me to be a better version of myself every day. I am so thankful and grateful for my kids. I am blessed to be their mother every day.
congratulatory messages and shout out
Annie has come out of the cocoon and has learned we are all unique, but together we build an amazing team! She mentioned this was a bit complicated as there were times she felt returning home from the parking lot. There were days she was unsure this was her way but knew this was her place. Making connections with her peers have been of motivation.
-Instructor, Laura Jacinto
Maru (Maria Eugenia) Campos
Program:
English as a Second Language & Spanish GED
Thank you very much for this recognition. I feel very happy and very proud of myself for all that I have improved in my English. Thank you very much to this school, to my teacher Sarah for her help and especially to my parents and my baby who always support me and encourage me to be better every day.
I found out about this program through my mother, she loves learning English and a few years ago she was studying here. This is a great opportunity to learn and improve our English. I think that we can find better job and life opportunities if we speak English well. I enjoy learning new things every day. I like coming to class and interacting with the teacher Sarah and with my classmates, we always try to express ourselves in English. And also, at home I love listening to stories in Burlington English readers and doing different exercises, this application has helped me a lot.
If I were to be a spirit animal, I somewhat identify with a golden eagle and a black panther. Both are large, strong and powerful animals. The eagle is majestic in its flight, it gives us hope and freedom. The black panther helps us not to fear the night and the dark. l am strong, powerful and noble. I like the dark, that's where the stars shine (one day everyone in the dark sky will shine like stars).
My parents have always been my inspiration and my best example of work, responsibility and love. No matter if it rains, if it is cold or if they are sick. They always do their responsibilities, they have always taken care of all their children and they have pushed us to be successful and have a happy life. I respect the thoughts and beliefs of others. Giving love and helping others is giving them the best gift. Be responsible and be a good person. These are values that my parents taught me and I try to practice them at all times.
The best advice I would give to others thinking about attending VAS is to enjoy your class. Organize your schedule and be disciplined and constant. Every day I attend classes and speak and listen in English all the time. This will help them improve and see the results very soon. I plan to continue improving my English. I am going to COS to enroll in English classes. Then I would like to study to be a translator and find a job that allows me to match my work schedule with the responsibilities of being a mother.
congratulatory messages and shout out
Maru worked SO hard to study for and pass GED math! She worked at home, school, and even through lunch studying math on Aztec, videos, etc.! She also joined Teacher Lauren Haley’s ABE math class for a time. She is a hard worker and never gave up. This is in addition to studying English in the advanced level class as well as adding the Office Skills class this semester. She worked hard all year to balance studying for GED, ESL, and now Office Skills. She did all this while caring for her elderly parents and her 3 year-old daughter at home. I’m so proud of all she has accomplished this year! While working to achieve her goals and while working through her barriers in math, she has maintained a positive attitude and consistently encourages her classmates, always offering positive words of encouragement, especially to her fellow Spanish GED students. Thank you, Maru, for being a positive force in our ESL and Spanish GED classes!
-Instructor, Sarah Motola
Visalia Adult School
Visalia Adult School is committed to providing a wide range of academic and career technical programs including High School Diploma, GED, Adult Basic Education, and English as a Second Language, Industrial Arts, Business and medical educational programs. Visalia Adult School is full accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and employs qualified state certificated instructors in all educational programs. Adult education programs and classes are offered throughout the community of Visalia.
3110 East Houston Avenue, Visalia, CA 93292
Phone: 559-730-7646
See our website HERE for information on our programs and how to preregister
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Adult Ed is Key in 2023!