My Journey as an Adult Education Student
A school is a place where children study to prepare for their future. Their outcomes are scored by grades, and their progress is assessed by the extent they improved during the school year. However, this conventional evaluation system is not applicable to adult education even though it is called adult “school”. Adult education plays an important role in community integration, which is especially important in a region with an influx of new immigrants, like California. It contributes to society by giving new comers a sense of community, confidence, and courage to take the first step towards their dreams.
First of all, without exaggeration, my journey as an adult education student saved my life. When I moved to this country, I was in a deep grief, missing everything about my country. I didn’t want to move abroad in the time when education in my country was crucial to my children’s success there. I refused to come at first but finally decided to move, feeling as if I was going to jump from a cliff. After coming here, I felt hopeless. I was lucky enough to speak English to some extent, but still it was a struggle to get my family’s life settled in a new place. Then one day, I found a booklet about San Mateo Adult School in the mail box of my apartment, and everything started to move forward. I was shy at the beginning, but my teacher and classmates embraced me with a cheerful welcome. It was heartwarming to know that there was a place I could go everyday to see familiar faces. I enjoyed talking to other students from all over the world, learning about their cultures and different ways of thinking. I also learned that I wasn’t the only one who felt disoriented after arriving here. My classmates’ stories about their journeys to the U.S. assured me that life would improve if I kept on trying. The classroom became my second home where I nourished a sense of community.
Secondly, before joining this school, I had an image that a school would be a closed environment separated from the society. At first, I thought that being a full time adult school student might not be a good idea because I don’t have much chance to meet native speakers. However, I was wrong. As I got to know my classmates, I started to realize that some of them were also parents in my children’s school. I was able to recognize and talk to them when I picked up my children from school. My school was also a gateway to knowing people in the community. After building up my confidence, I felt more comfortable in starting a conversation with other American parents who I saw at school. Interestingly, I found out that many of them were also immigrants who had experienced hardships when they first arrived here. By helping me develop enough confidence to take a step to participate in the community, my school gave me a broad opportunity to communicate with people outside of school.
Most importantly, this school helped me go through the most difficult time in my family; my daughter was hospitalized for three weeks due to her health problems. I was so confused and terrified about the situation, so I couldn’t help sharing my circumstances with my teachers and classmates. It was too much for me to hold it by myself. They were concerned about me, hugged me, and cheered me up to be strong. At my daughter’s bedside, while I was watching her taking a nap, I received a video letter from my classmates, calling out, “Get well soon!” I couldn’t watch it without crying. One of my friends from Russia gave me a beautiful green stone that is believed to have power to protect children. Another friend prayed every day for us wishing for my daughter’s fast recovery. I visited classrooms when I had a chance. Hugging is not a common practice in my country, but I learned how warm it could be through my classmates’ arms. They admired me for being brave and strong. It was wonderful to know many people were thinking about us. I cannot be grateful enough for their support.
“You will never know what you can do until you try!” is my favorite phrase that I have learned in this school. In the society I grew up, being a middle-aged woman wasn’t much fun; we were expected to devote our time to support our family, putting aside our own dreams. However, I leaned from this school that I have the right to pursue my happiness no matter how old I am. Of course, my family is important, but now I started to think about what “I” want to achieve for the rest of my life. It is scary to take the first step, but “getting out of one’s comfort zone” is another thing I learned from my school as an American motto. My current dream is to study nutrition and psychology in college and become a dietitian who has insight into the humans mind.
As I shared in my story, I obtained a sense of community, confidence, and a motivation to achieve my dream. I grew tremendously during the first year of my life in America. I will not forget my experience in this adult school even after I “graduate” from school. This is the place where my second life began.
