Thanks for a Dream Fulfilled

Francisco Ramos, originally from El Salvador, says his hardest task here in the U.S. has been finding a job. He writes this about his experience:

I was a regular student in San Bruno Adult School. I remember when I talked with Teacher Jay about my task, about how I was looking for a job and a few days later he gave me the information about another class at San Mateo Adult School - "Job Search/Resume Writing." He put me in touch with teacher Martin Doener, who is in charge of that class and Martin helped me to write a Personal Resume, a Cover Letter, like it is used in the USA. He taught me how to use the different web pages for looking for a job and how to practice some personal interviews with the most useful questions in the real market. After all these things, I am right now an employee, and I am very thankful for the Adult School, because when I was desperate, without any options, in the Adult School of San Mateo I found hope. Thanks to everyone who´s helped me to make my American dream come true.
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Thanks At Every Stage

Gabriela Castro is also writing to show her appreciation and concern for the Adult School.

To whom it may concern:

I wrote this letter because other students and I are worried because we are going to have less support from you. This is really sad because through the Adult School we learn English.

For me, the Adult School is helpful. It has been around me in different stages of my life. For example: teaching me basic English wwith which I found a job. When I had the job in the morning, I was still going to school at night time. Now I have two children and I found a perfect program for me - Distance Learning. This is a program to do your lessons and homework in your own time. And the Adult School is helping me with my children. I cannot pay for pre-school becasue it is really expensive but I was looking for some activities for my kids to help them to learn and then the Adult Schol has this program - Play As Learning. This program helps with differnt skills like socializiation, communication, follow the instructions, colors, vocabulary, and more.

Withouit this help, I am sure that I could not have the life I am having now, becasue to go to college or pay for pre-school are so expensive that I can't pay it.

So I want to say thank you for helping us but we still need your support becasue education is importatnt to have a better job, family, communities and my world for sure is going to be better. Just please continue with the support becasue we need it. Thanks.

Gabriela Castro
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A Letter of Thanks

Red Letter Day is coming - our chance to speak up and tell the State Legislature how the Adult School helps the community.

ESL student Barbara Brehovska writes:

Hi,

My name is Barbora Brehovska. I am from the Czech Republic and now I am a student of the Adult School in San Mateo.

The Adult School is very important for me. The school helps me to understand and speak in English better. Also, the school helps me to be a good parent too.
I can help my daughter with her homework, I can be a volunteer at daughter's school, I can read to her. We can go to the Public Library. It is very good for me and for my family.

I really appreciate this possibility - to study English at the Adult School.

Barbora Brehovska
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From The Heart

San Mateo Adult School student Li knows it is very important to speak up now. More cuts to education - to our school and all schools - are possible. She has written a letter to Senator Leland Yee about how SMAS has helped her.

Here, with her permission, is her letter:

The Honorable Senator Leland Yee,

My name is Li, and I come from China. I write this letter just to let you know how much I deeply appreciate the San Mateo adult school from my heart. It has changed my life.
A few years ago, when I came to the USA, I couldn’t speak any English. I couldn’t help my kids with their school work or get involved at their school at all. I couldn’t see the doctor by myself. I didn’t have any entertainment. When my children and I needed to see a doctor, my husband had to take the day off to take us to see a doctor. When my husband or someone asked me to go to a movie, I couldn’t go, because I didn’t speak English and didn’t understand English. But the San Mateo Adult School helped me. I learned to talk, read, and write English at the Adult School. Now I can go to movies; I can see my doctor by myself; I can volunteer at my kid’s school; I can help our community; and I can do a better job when I teach Chinese to children in the US.
So, I like the adult school. I think it is very important for us, and very important for our community.

Yours Sincerely,

Li
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