{"id":5084267,"date":"2020-02-19T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-02-19T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ctlatinonews.com\/adult-education-overcoming-challenges-in-achieving-goals\/"},"modified":"2020-02-19T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2020-02-19T05:00:00","slug":"adult-education-overcoming-challenges-in-achieving-goals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/ctln\/2020\/02\/19\/adult-education-overcoming-challenges-in-achieving-goals\/","title":{"rendered":"Adult Education: Overcoming Challenges In Achieving Goals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By <\/em> Bego\u00f1a Sevilla<\/em> Fernandez<\/em><\/a>, CTLatinoNews.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

NEW HAVEN \u2014 When Paula Barragan, 24, decided to go back\nand get her high school diploma, she wasn\u2019t doing it just for herself \u2014 she was\ndoing it for her two children.<\/p>\n\n\n

Barragan, who came to the United States from Mexico at the age of six, didn\u2019t finish high school because she became pregnant with the first of her two daughters. But in November 2015, she took the first step in getting her diploma by going to the New Haven Adult Education and Continuing Learning Center (NHAEC)<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

Making the decision and going to the center was\namazing, Barragan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the State Department of Education, 1 in 10 adults in the state does not have a high school diploma. In New Haven, that number is 1 in 6.<\/p>\n\n\n

The center is working hard to reverse these\nnumbers, said Marta Hart, a social worker at NHAEC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\nhelp students from many different countries, including Latinos from Latin\nAmerica, to advance their education. We help them obtain a High School Diploma\n(HSCDP), General Education Diploma (GED), or National External Diploma (NEDP).\nAnd they can also improve students\u2019 level of English (ESOL),\u201d\nHart said.<\/p>\n\n\n

The center also offers citizen preparation classes that help students prepare and pass their naturalization exams.<\/p>\n\n\n

According to center statistics, in the current  2020 school year, nearly  1,000 students are enrolled. Of these 518 are Latino.  Last year, the center had 1,449 enrolled students in its various programs with 740 being Latino. <\/h4>\n\n\n

Juggling school and a family can pose challenges for some students.<\/p>\n\n\n

Finishing the program became a challenge for Barragan.\nOne of her daughters was born with a medical condition that required\nhospitalization. And Barragan could not leave her side. In spite of this\nobstacle, the single mother whose only means of support was her own mother, was\ndetermined to finish the program and get her diploma.<\/p>\n\n\n

\u201cI always talked to the teacher asking her if I could do\nsome homework to make up my classes. They always helped me out. They treated me\nlike family,\u201d Barragan said. \u201cAs soon as they see that you are motivated and\nwant to make up your work, they will help you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

Her motivation never wavered. And in 2018 she\ngraduated and found a job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe\nbeauty of our program is that no matter what your problems are, we have staff\nto help you: transportation, housing, food, or domestic issues. We have\npartners to help students as a family,\u201d said Michelle Bonora, the center\u2019s\nprincipal.<\/p>\n\n\n

In\n2018, the state rolled out 260 adult learning programs across the state This\namounted to 350,000 annual hours of instruction by staff with some 50,000\nstudents enrolled in different locations across the state.<\/p>\n\n\n

Diego Martinez, 30, came from Mexico nearly eight years ago. In Mexico, he didn\u2019t have the opportunity to get his diploma.<\/p>\n\n\n

\u201cWe needed to work to make a living,\u201d\nMartinez said.<\/p>\n\n\n

When he found the center, Martinez said he was happy. He\nwanted to be a role model for his own children and he believed improving his\nEnglish skills and getting his GED would help.<\/p>\n\n\n

In 2014, he enrolled in the English program\nand in 2019 he enrolled in the Spanish GED program.<\/p>\n\n\n

Martinez admitted that at first, it was not easy, he said. <\/p>\n\n\n

\u201cI\nneeded some time to get accustomed to it,\u201d Martinez said. \u201cEverybody supports\nyou to make things easier.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting\nyour diploma or improving your English skills does not happen overnight. It\ntakes commitment and persistence. It\u2019s a journey and takes time,\u201d Bonora said.<\/p>\n\n\n

Martinez is convinced that \u201cbetter job opportunities will arise\nif you invest in your education.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

Overcoming a perceived negative stigma<\/strong> <\/h4>\n\n\n

Bonora\nbelieves adults are often afraid to take the first step in getting their\ndiploma because of the negative perception of adult education centers across\nthe country. She encourages everyone to take the first step and go to the\ncenter.<\/p>\n\n\n

\u201cWe\nall hold a core value. We are a family. You\u2019re coming to us with your goals and\nwe are going to help you,\u201d Bonora said.<\/p>\n\n\n

Added\nHart, \u201cOverall the experience is very positive for everyone. They really feel\nvery comfortable, safe, and welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

In an\neffort to spread the word about the center and de-stigmatize adult learning,\nthe center held a \u201cNo Excuse March for Education\u201d last September. Hundreds of\npeople marched from the center to the New Haven Green to spread a clear and\nloud message.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n