Rowland Adult & Community Education (RACE) held its 41st Graduation on June 4, 2013. Pictured is student speaker Ana Helberg, being presented the Ada May Warner Scholarship by Rowland Council PTA President Phillip Estrada. Helberg came from El Salvador in 1968 and decided in 2012 to sign up for classes to take her GED. Counselor Joe Miraglia encouraged her to get her high school diploma. Ana (age 63) would like to pursue her education at MT. SAC to become a translator.
Margarita Fernandez (pictured with RACE Director Rocky Bettar) received the Director’s Award. Fernandez enrolled in RACE in December 2002, in ESL and CBET. She attended RACE over an 11 year period completing 207 hours in ESL and ABE, and 562 hours in ASE. Bettar said, “She has demonstrated persistence during her time at RACE and represents a life-long learner. She has three children, one at Nogales, one at Giano and one in pre-school. She is a District employee working as a noon duty aide at Northam and Giano and is a role model for all the students she will come in contact with on why education is important.”
The first recipient of the new Rowland Adult & Community Education Staff Scholarship was Hannah Sanchez (pictured with Colleen Bridgewater). Sanchez will be entering the nursing program at Mr. SAC. Staff joined together to contribute and present a $200 scholarship to her.
For the first time, the Special GED Award and Counselor’s Award was presented not to a graduate, but of man who truly represented life-long learning. At age 83, Jimmy Lee passed his GED and California High School Exit Exam. He wants to enroll at Mt. SAC to continue his education (he speaks Indonesian, Chinese and English) and wants to learn a 4th language – Spanish!