"Work hard and never give up" An interview with a UCS Adult Education graduate

Looking back, was it worth the hard work and time you spent learning English and earning your high school diploma.

Yes. Learning a new language here in the US was not as hard as I thought it would be. It was not easy, but I practiced a lot when I wasn’t at school. When I would come home, I practiced my English all the time.

Did you ever want to give up, or did you ever say to yourself “This is too hard”?

I never would give up. I never said this is too hard, because in my family, no one had ever gone to university. I am the only one in my family to be able to go to college and get a good education.

Now that you have your diploma, what are your educational plans for the future? What are your career goals for the future?

I am going to apply for college and try to get a new job. Right now, I am looking into colleges in Florida, where my family is. Not sure of my major, but I am young, so I have time. My goal is to do something to help people, maybe be a physical therapist or a personal trainer.

What advice would you give to a new ESL student?

Work hard, never give up, and if I can do it, you can too. The teachers here will help you, and push yourself. Nothing is easy, but if you practice and put all your effort into learning English, you will be successful.

What advice would you give to new Adult Education student?

A diploma will be an accessory to help you achieve new goals, either to go to college or get a better job. Your diploma is a piece of paper, but the things you learn to get that diploma will stay with you for a long time. Learning about the US culture, and math, and everything that I learned, now I know these things.

Was there one teacher who really inspired you and encouraged you to keep moving forward?

All the teachers encouraged me and pushed me forward. Everyone was very helpful. They all helped me learn English and all of my teachers there in Adult Education helped me and pushed me.

What was the most difficult part about coming to the United States?

I had to leave my family and friends, and then my father passed away. He taught me that life is hard, but I should never give up. My Father pushed me to come to the US. I didn’t do this to show anyone, or prove anything to anyone, but I did it to show myself I could do it.