Alma Gomez

Soledad Adult School Community Education Center

Nominated in 2024

Alma Gomez has been a student at Soledad Adult School for some time now. She also works full time at Dole Fresh a big employer of South Monterey County. Alma began attending our school in 2017 for ESL, starting at beginning ESL and working her way to Intermediate ESL. In class she actively participates and engages well with other students. Alma balances life, work and education, proving to other students that it can be done. Because of her acquiring more English and workforce skills at Soledad Adult School she has gotten a better job at work, now as a Supervisor at Dole Fresh.

When Alma first registered at Soledad Adult School she specifically identified two goals: 1. Get her HSE and 2 become US Citizen. The road to achieve her goals was not easy. For some students, learning and preparing for the HiSet is not an easy task. Alma would take the HiSet exam, and not pass, but even though she did not pass the first few times, she never gave up. She had a goal, earn her HiSet, and that is what she kept working towards. Then Covid hit, making learning even more difficult, and a halt in in person testing had her goal on pause. As soon as we re opened our school, she was one of the first students to register for class, and again she registered for HiSet. This time, she was more determined than ever to pass her HiSet exams. Alma, just one more test to pass, and although it was her subject, math, and after 3 tries, she passed! When she passed her HiSet in late 2022, we were all so happy for her. This had been a journey she embarked since 2019, and although it was not a easy one, she never gave up, and always persevered.

Now, this school year, Alma registered for ESL to continue improving her English to help her in her job to communicate better. But, Alma targeted her second goal, become a US Citizen. This spring, 2024, Alma achieved that goal too. Alma embodies the philosophy of Life Long Learning at Soledad Adult School, as she meets her goals, she always strives to learn more for self help. We know her next step will be Hartnell Community College, and there too, we know she will succeed.