Wendy Samayoa accepts her diploma
from SMUHSD Trustee Linda Lees Dwyer

Wendy Samayoa shares the speech she gave at the San Mateo Adult School 2018 Graduation.

Prepare to be inspired!

There is a Spanish quote that sums up feelings and thoughts at this moment “La direfencia entre lo possible y lo impossible esta en la determination de una persona.”  “The difference between the possible and the impossible lies in the determination of a person.” Hello My name is Wendy Samayoa and I am here because of my determination!!

This is an evening that marks the end of an important stage in my life.  My road to educational success has not been easy as it has not been for others here tonight.  I’m from Guatemala. When I was a child my parents got divorced and my mother made the decision to come to the United States, while my father and I remained in Guatemala. I was raised by my grandparents and my aunt, along with my two sisters.   My early education from elementary school to high school was very successful. I knew from very early on I wanted to be teacher. Knowing what I wanted to do I was determined to succeed.

I enrolled at the local university and graduated as a Professor. After I graduated from the university, I started my Master’s degree in Psychology. Then my road to success became more difficult. I was unable to finish my degree because of the violence and political turmoil that was going on. Being constantly threatened and no longer feeling safe I decided to come to the United States.  My heart remains in Guatemala but my road to my success is in America.

I came to the United States in July 2016 to live with my mother. The transition from Guatemala to the United States was much more difficult than I could have imagined   At that time my English skills were very poor and as a result I could not get a job here. It was very important that I improve my English skills before continuing my education.  We looked into enrolling at CSM but I could not afford the tuition fee at that time. Determined my mother and I continued to search for the right school. My mother suggested that I could go to San Mateo Adult School and enroll in ESL classes.

I enrolled in High Intermediate ESL level in fall of 2016.  The first semester was difficult since I had a hard time communicating with other students in English   Soon my English communication skills improved and my confidence in learning returned. Choosing to return to school was a hard decision that changed my life but I wanted to continue my studies and determined to earn a degree in this country.  I was told that the Adult School offered a High School Diploma Program. This program was entirely different than ESL because you need to pass required academic courses to earn a High School Diploma. Many of the courses I took in high school in Guatemala were not transferrable in the US so I needed to make up 30 credits.  This has not been easy, there were times I wanted to give up my educational dreams and just go to work. But with the assistance and guidance of the High School Diploma staff I am now a high school graduate ready to start the next chapter in my life. I want to give a special thanks to Carlota, Mr Beall, Ms. Thompson, Mr. Creegan, Frantz and George for always encouraging me to continue my education and share my success with others.

My confidence and determination has instilled in me to be a role model to other students who have had or has similar difficulties in life. In the summer of 2017, I joined the school’s Ambassador Program, a position which I continue to hold today. In fall 2017, I ran for the Student Council President position and won. I have been a pioneer in two San Mateo Adult School pilot programs: ESL City Government Academy, and the ESL Eat Healthy Be Active Community Health Program. This Summer I am volunteering as a teacher’s aide in a Low Beginning ESL class.

I met my first long term goal and will finally receive my High School Diploma. My short term goals are to continue to improve my English skills, and go to community college next year.  And now, my second long term goal is to be a teacher here in the United States.

I would not be here tonight speaking in front of you without saying thank you to those who have always been by my side. Thanks God, my mom, my family, my teachers and my friends, thank you for supporting me in my decisions even when you did not agree with them. THANK YOU is not enough to express what I feel, this mixture of sadness, happiness and satisfaction to reach the goal.  And to all other graduates here tonight be proud of what you have accomplished and continue to follow your dreams.

So… remember “La direfencia entre lo possible y lo impossible esta en la determination de

una persona.”  “The difference between the possible and the impossible lies in the

determination of a person.”

Thank you, Wendy, for inspiring us to choose courage, effort, and persistence.

Learn more about the SMAS High School Diploma program here.

For Adult Education Week, students from Ms. Thompson's PreGED a.m. and p.m. classes were asked to write about the, "Keys to Success."  Some questions they were asked to consider were:

* What is your goal or destination?

* Where are you going?

* What are the obstacles in your path?

* How is the San Mateo Adult School helping you get there? 

Each student was assigned a number with only Ms. Thompson knowing who belonged to which essay.  Then, three readers were asked to read the essays and award them First, Second, Third, and Honorable Mention. 

This process of writing, editing, refining, and rewriting takes time.  So does the judging.  Also, Ms. T was out recuperating from hand surgery, so students didn't find out the winners until June 7th! 

First, we would like to thank our readers Carlota Zuniga, Ron Beall, and Eric Saavedra. 

The winners are:

Honorable Mention AM class: Lawrence Boyle

Third Place AM class: Isaias Lantan

Second Place AM class: Narciso Hernandez

First Place AM class: Reina De Los Santos. 

Honorable Mention PM class: Saul Sanchez Lopez and Christian Duran

Third Place PM class: Gustavo Rosas

Second Place PM class: Simone Coelho

First Place PM class: Emerson Torres Jr. 

Participation certificates were issued to all who took part. 

To announce the winners, a class party was held.  Mr. Saavedra and Mr. Tim Doyle attended, handed out the prizes, and listened to the students read their essays aloud.  Our heartiest congratulations to all participants.

For Adult Education Week, students from Ms.Thompson's PreGED Morning and Evening classes were asked to write about the, "Keys to Success."   Our heartiest congratulations to all participants.

Simone Coelho was the Second Place Winner was the Adult Education Week Essay Contest

Simone Coelho

Keys   to   Success

Have you ever thought about following a dream?  What do you

want to accomplish in your future in the short or medium term?

Well, in my case I just decided to go back to school to get my GED test

done. Once I have my GED certificate, I will go to a community college

to pursue a degree in Business Administration. The reason I want a

degree  is because I can look for a better paid job and besides, I will be

a more educated person. On the other hand, I would be a

well-developed human being which means I could contribute back to my

community and help others to succeed as well.

Studying and learning new skills has been always something I like.

Whenever I feel it’s difficult trying to go back to school, I always say to

myself: keep going. Yes, keep going because you are your cheerleader!   

The keys to success academically are: don’t be afraid to ask for help, tell

yourself  to do your best and don’t pay attention to obstacles, but look

toward your goal, which is that degree.

When I mention difficulties or obstacles, I mean anything that can

take  away your focus, even negative friends or relatives.  Avoid staying

up late just for fun and sleep, study, sleep and study.

Make decisions for weekends based on the time you have so you

won’t be tired on Monday. Read a lot and practice your English as much as you can. Make good use of the Internet, it has a lot of good contents to help you to succeed academically.

To conclude, follow your dreams and go for it.  In the end, you will realize all you did was worthy, precious and invaluable. Go champion!

For Adult Education Week, students from Ms.Thompson's PreGED Morning and Evening classes were asked to write about the, "Keys to Success."   Our heartiest congratulations to all participants.

Lawrence received an Honorable Mention and a Most Improved Certificate in the Morning PreGED class.

Lawrence Boyle                          EDUCATION SUCCESS                                      

       

            I  am learning everyday, Because education is most important.

Being intelligent will help us improve for jobs to look after myself  and others who need help like me at one time.                           

I am willing to help my self and to keep a positive mind clear of the    

problems of everyday life. Success is hard when new things are    

being learned that I never knew before; It is all new to me.

Brainstorming is the most important  thing that helps when writing.

Many things to think about are better to achieve a better effort.

Christian Duran received an Honorable Mention in the Evening PreGED class.

For Adult Education Week, students from Ms.Thompson's PreGED Morning and Evening classes were asked to write about the, "Keys to Success."   Our heartiest congratulations to all participants.

Keys to Success

by Christian Duran

All people have the capacity of success in life; it all depends how much they want it.  In this world there are three types of persons: the ones that don’t see anything; the ones who see, but don’t do anything; and the ones who see and take action.  To be a successful person, you have to be open- minded. What I mean by that is that you always need to have the attitude of always learning. You have to put in your mind that there is never an end for learning. No matter how old we are, there is always something that we don't know.

Also, you have to listen to the people who have done what you want to achieve, and try to use their example to motivate yourself. You have to have discipline for success, work every day for what you want and never get distracted. Education plays a big role in success. You have to educate yourself as much as you can.That gives you the chance to know a lot of different people and by that you will increase your possibilities of success.

For Adult Education Week, students from Ms.Thompson's PreGED Morning and Evening classes were asked to write about the, "Keys to Success."   Our heartiest congratulations to all participants.  

Saul Sanchez Lopez received an Honorable Mention.                                 

Keys to Success

Keys to success are important for everybody in any situation or to get a goal in a short or a long period of time.  Being on time, motivation, support and responsibilities are just some keys to be successful in this life.

As you know, when we decide to take our own responsibilities or to be independent, it is because
we already know what we really want for our future and what we like and do not like.  For example, a person who decides to be manager of a big company and be in charge of other duties, must have a good knowledge about the products or services that the company offers to their customers.                                               

To get their wonderful knowledge, a manager achieves many requirements; all of these started from his childhood .                                           

Attending school, being on time, asking questions and practicing with classmates made him or her confident. Over the years, he or she attended different programs in high school, college, and the university without forgetting the difficult moments that sometimes make them think that they can not achieve their goal.In that specific moment is when motivation of their family members express support to them, then for that reason they do not lose their motivation for what they already accomplished.                                       

Because of that, they push themselves to continue following their passion and for what they want in their life.  Using the right keys to success in the hard moments basically help managers to accomplish their goal. That is why many managers agree that to reach any goal, using the keys to success is the bestway to be happy for what you want in life.