STATE CENTER ADULT EDUCATION CONSORTIUM

North Region

María Cachu
High School Diploma Graduate
Yosemite Adult School

I am María Cachu. I was born and raised in Mexico until I turned 17. Then, my sisters and I moved to the USA to join our dad, who had been here for 30 years. I enrolled at Fresno High but had to leave school when my father had an accident that prevented him from working. As the head of the household, this situation forced me to start working to support the family.

Years later, I married and had four children aged 8 to 16. We are very involved in their activities and stay busy year-round.

As time passed, I wanted to achieve more for myself. My first goal was to become a U.S. citizen after years as a legal resident, and I also worked on improving my English. When our youngest started kindergarten, I decided to return to school while managing home duties, the language barrier, kids' activities, and a job.

My journey required significant effort, time, and dedication. I couldn’t have succeeded without my family’s support and the help of the staff at Yosemite Adult School. Mrs. Kathy went above and beyond, working around my schedule to help me with lessons and check on my progress. Mr. Tony was a great motivator and problem-solver. Mrs. Karina guided me on what to do after earning my high school diploma and provided valuable information, from cosmetology schooling to DMV details. I also took a DMV online class she set up for me.

It took a lot of effort on my part, and I couldn’t have reached my goals without the dedication of Mrs. Kathy, Mrs. Karina, Mr. Tony, and Yosemite Adult School. For anyone looking to earn their high school diploma, this is the place and the team you want on your side.

Central Region

Julian Rivera
High School Diploma Graduate
Fresno Adult School

Fighting has been part of my life since childhood, growing up without parents and living with my grandmother. Despite the obstacles, I always felt fortunate to be alive and determined to show that success is possible.

Raised in a poor family in El Salvador, I excelled in mathematics, academics, and sports from a young age. My love for learning and curiosity about how things worked drove me to overcome the lack of parental support. With hard work and sacrifice, I graduated high school and attended university, often borrowing books from classmates and photocopying study materials.

With God’s help, I became a Civil Engineer, married, and started a family. I enjoyed practicing my profession for five years until violence in our country forced us to move to the United States. There, I worked in the fields and struggled to pursue my career due to the language barrier and new responsibilities. So I enrolled in Fresno Adult School to break the language barrier. I met inspiring teachers and supportive people, feeling a sense of family I had always wanted. Despite being told it was almost impossible to learn English at my age, I studied diligently and improved significantly. I then earned my HISET diploma and had the honor of giving the graduation speech in English, a moment I will always cherish. This experience reaffirmed that many things depend on our own efforts.

I sought guidance from counselor Oscar Hinojosa, who encouraged me to validate my degree or pursue a new career. Now, I am motivated to take classes related to what I dream of becoming and am in college full-time while continuing to improve my English. Thank you to everyone who has supported me directly or indirectly. Your encouragement has been invaluable. Dreams and family are the dose of motivation we need every day.

South Region

Jennifer Logan
High School Diploma Graduate
Kings Canyon Adult School

At the age of 36 years old, I found it to be the perfect time in my life to chase after my dreams. I was motivated to get my high school diploma because I wanted to pursue a career in teaching. At 17 I had dropped out of high school when I found myself pregnant with my first child. Since then I married and continued to have 3 more children. I worked, and took care of my family.

However, at the age of 36 years old, I found myself a stay at home mom and didn’t feel accomplished and thought that I could do more and be more for my kids. I started volunteering at my son’s school and I really gravitated to helping out in the classroom and felt like a career in teaching would be a great opportunity to provide for my family as well as have the same schedule as my kids. Therefore, I started the high school diploma program at Kings Canyon Adult School in August 2022, and realized I didn’t need too many credits to finish.

In January 2023, with the motivation and assistance from the adult school staff, I enrolled at Reedley College and graduated this May with my Associates Degree in Liberal Arts. In addition, I will be attending Fresno Pacific in August to achieve my Bachelor degree in Liberal Arts with a minor in special education.

My motto is, “It’s never too late.” Success can seem distant or unachievable but it is just an arm length away, the arm length that is needed to open the door into Kings Canyon Adult School.