Student Ambassador Spotlight: Francisco Gonzalez

Student Ambassador Spotlight

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

Hi, my name is Francisco Gonzalez and I’m from El Salvador.  I am a very kind person, hard working, collaborative and eager to learn from others.

How long have you been a student at the San Mateo Adult School Student?

I have been attending the San Mateo Adult School for five years.

What made you decide to participate in the Student Ambassador Program?

I decided to be a Student Ambassador because I wanted to help in facilitating new applicants of the ESL program and also to assist the San Mateo Adult School Staff .

What was the highlight?

Acquiring new knowledge and communicating in two languages.

What advice would you have for someone who is interested in becoming a Student Ambassador?

It is a great opportunity use what you have learned in the classroom and it will also open up many doors for you in the Future. It is an important step in improving your life.

What’s next for you?

Enrolling in the GED program, getting my GED and the enrolling at San Mateo College.

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Student Ambassador Spotlight: Rie

Student Ambassador Spotlight

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

I'm Rie, and I've been apart of the Student Ambassador Program for three years. It's been great working with the staff at the SMART Center because they care so much about the students.

Rie
Alt Text: Smiling woman
with long dark hair
and checked shirt

How long have you been a student at the San Mateo Adult School Student?

I've been here for more than three years, and I took classes for pronunciation, computer software, conversation, reading, and professional business communication.

What made you decide to participate in the Student Ambassador Program?

I was interested in doing something more than just learning, and the program was perfect for me to get more experience in a different environment. Also, the school needed people who could help new students during ESL registration/orientation, and I was a match.

What was the highlight?

We created  an informational table for the second day of the two-day registration so that new students would be able to decide on classes they wanted to take before meeting with a counselor to register for classes. When I was in charge of the informational table, I asked the students the times of the day they were available and areas of English they wanted to improve. Then I informed them which classes would be suitable for them. Marina told me later on that day that I was very helpful in accelerating her job of counseling them because she did not have to explain what programs the school offers.

What advice would you have for someone who is interested in becoming a Student Ambassador?

I would recommend interested candidates take action to try this position, not just thinking about doing it. You may not feel confident to speak in front of people at first, but no one is good at it in the beginning. The more opportunities you have, the less stressed you will feel. This volunteer position will educate you on how to interact with people with limited English, too. There may not be a Student Ambassador who speaks a new students particular language, so you need to be creative with your verbal skills as well as nonverbal ones.

What’s next for you?

I would like to pursue a master's degree, which is my long-term goal.

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Green Team Volunteers in North Central Clean-Up and Garden Project

SMAS Green Team Participation in North Central Clean-Up and Garden Project

Yay to community, green, gardens, clean-ups, and SMAS volunteers!  On Saturday morning, January 12th, the Home Association of North Central San Mateo, sponsored a clean-up and garden planting in the North Central neighborhood.  North Central is our neighborhood.  Our school is part of this community.    

Representing the San Mateo Adult School Green Team, SMAS Morning Student Council President Shelley Cheng and her daughter Vivien, along with SMAS student Grace and her daughter Kate participated in this event.

Here is Shelley's description of the event:

Grace, Kate, Vivien, Shelley
HANCM Leader Amo and her daughter
at the Neighborhood Cleanup Day

First, we are very grateful to our school and community for building a bridge of communication that gives us the volunteer opportunity to participate in this clean up event. When we picked up the trash on the street, the pedestrians and staff said “ thank you “ enthusiastically to us. It made us feel that we could help others and gain more worthwhile. Also we felt we were more integrated into this community. At last, my daughter told me, “I identified that it was not an easy task to keep our community neat, so I should remind myself and my friends not to throw the trash on the ground.”

Thank you to Shelley, Grace, and their daughters for representing SMAS at this event and for making our neighborhood cleaner, safer, and healthier!

Read what the editor of the San Mateo Daily Journal, Jon Mays, had to say about the event.

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Kimie Sato: My Volunteer Opportunity

Kimie Sato is another San Mateo Adult School success.  Here, in her own words, is her story:

My Volunteer Opportunity

Thanks to Teacher Stephanie, I am finally able to start work as a volunteer at the San Mateo Senior Center. I work for the lunch program doing things such as table set up, arranging the food on the plates, serving dishes and more.

Last semester, I took Stephanie’s “Eat Healthy Be Active” health classes. She took us to the San Mateo Senior Center on a field trip during the class. At that time I received some information about volunteering. Actually, I was worried whether or not I was good enough to start to do that because of my lack of English skills. On the other hand, I didn’t want to miss the chance to volunteer, so I pushed myself to apply for the opportunity and I got it!

I believe that volunteering is the perfect opportunity to gain new skills and learn from the people who I meet, so I strongly recommend you to do it!

Thank you, Kimie, for sharing your story. You inspire us to succeed!

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