Community Education program brochures Metro North ABE - Consortium newsletter, Feb. 2016 | Page 6

Student Stories Three ABE students share their personal goals Earning an adult diploma or a GED can make such a difference in a person’s life; it can open doors in many different ways. ABE student Dan Carpenter plans to finish his adult diploma by spring 2016. After he graduates, he hopes to move into a position at his current employment that he considers a career, rather than just a job. He also plans to attend trade school, and by doing so, will hopefully land in an occupation where he will both earn a good living and be fulfilled. In addition to building his capacity to earn these life-changing opportunities, Dan has greatly developed his understanding of the world around him. For example, after studying a class called Politics and Law, he states that he has a much better understanding of how our system of government is set-up, especially pertaining to city, county, state, and federal government. Inese Alsina Adult Learning Center, Forest Lake Late last fall, our Forest Lake site began offering a technology lab class once a week. Since it started, this class has encouraged learners to integrate and improve their technology skills while keeping focused on their academic goals. One learner taking full advantage of this class is Inese Alsina. Inese, a Latvian immigrant, moved to the United States in early 2014. She found Forest Lake ABE and enrolled with goals of improving her English skills while preparing to enter the workforce. Since she has been at the Forest Lake site, Inese has significantly improved her reading and writing skills, and recently she began volunteering at a local hospital to help 6 METRO NORTH CONSORTIUM build her resume. Inese decided she would focus on earning her North Star Digital Literacy Certificate, to improve her computer skills. This would be another important skill to add to her growing “American” resume. Inese has id entified a three-pronged technology goal: 1) earn her North Star certificate; 2) increase her typing speed and accuracy; and 3) create an electronic English resume. Since starting to work with her technology lab instructor, Inese has completed four of the eight modules of the North Star certification. With every step, Inese is closer to her dream job. “ I need a GED. I need more speak with my children...Next, I need —my dream— going to the university, college. “ Dan Carpenter Lifelong Learning Center, St. Francis Angelita Castelan Adult Education Center, Columbia Heights/Fridley “I need a GED. I need more speak with my children. My children speak more English. Next, I need –my dream– going to the university, college,” expresses Angelita Castelan, a current English language learner at the Adult Education Center at Columbia Heights/Fridley (CHF). Angelita has a dream to become a social worker and help others: “In my mind, is helping another person. Because when I was a child I was very poor.” Angelita spends her days working and studying to improve her English, step-by-step. As nervous as she often feels to speak English with others, she knows it’s im- portant to keep practicing. Angelita began her studies at the Adult Education Center at CHF in 2014. She currently attends the English for Academic Purposes class five days a week, working the mornings before school cleaning apartment buildings. During her fifteen years in Minnesota, she has cleaned stores, offices, restaurants, and beauty salons. Cleaning buildings helps to support her family, but she would like a better job. Raised by her grandmother, Angelita often did not have food, clothes, or even lights for the home. She recalls not having shoes and pulling her dress down to cover her bare feet to avoid the ridicule from other children. Now, in Minnesota, Angelita works, attends school, and volunteers weekly at a local food shelf as she follows her path to getting her GED fulfilling her dream of a better life for herself and her family.