Tracey Astudillo

Maxine Waters Employment Preparation Program

Nominated in 2025

As someone who is always looking out for others, Tracey initially came to this school not to get help for herself, but for her younger niece. It was only after accompanying her niece to speak with Mr. Ramos, the academic advisor at the 66th Street Adult Learning Center, did she realize that she too was capable of success.

She started out by studying for and passing the HiSET test. She did very well, and earned a top 20% percentile in the writing section. She did not want to stop there, and so enrolled in the high school diploma classes. Tracey was a voracious learner, and would pass her self-guided classes very quickly. There were even classes she would pass in only a few weeks to days! She always placed 100% of her efforts in her studies and was responsive with her teachers and her advisor.

Tracey is a single mother with small children to take care of at home. She also takes take other ailing family members. While she was studying, she remembered a son she used to have. He had passed away much too soon, but was taken care of by empathetic nurses until his last day. She vowed to one day pay it forward, and become the kind of nurse that she was fortunate to have care for her son. Soon enough, she finished her high school diploma, and is set to walk the stage later this year May 2025. Her next plans are to study vocational nursing at Maxine Waters Employment Preparation Center, and then obtain a bachelor's degree to become a registered nurse.