Hacienda La Puente Adult Education ceremonies
honor students' successes
LA
PUENTE, Calif., May 7, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Hacienda La Puente Adult Education (HLPAE)
announces its upcoming graduation and awards ceremonies for more
than 600 students, celebrating those studying English-as-a-Second
(ESL) language, adult education, and job skills and career
training. Two back-to-back events will take place on May 15th and May 16th from 10am to 11am at Hacienda Heights Community
Center, 1234 Valencia Avenue, Hacienda
Heights.
May 15th showcases the
Adult Education ESL Graduation Ceremony, where nearly 40 students
graduate from ESL courses and 105 complete the Citizenship
Program.
"Our ESL and citizenship program are great steppingstones for
students to then complete their high school diploma or equivalency
and move into earning additional credentials and successfully join
the workforce," said Executive Director, Dr. Greg Buckner, HLPAE.
Approximately 23% of the population in HLPAE's service area
does not have a high school diploma or equivalency, which has
repercussions for the local economy and for those adults seeking to
build a better future.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that those without a
high school diploma or equivalency have median weekly earnings of
$721 compared to $905 for high school graduates with some college
or an associate degree.
Workforce preparation is a critical focus at HLPAE offering
training and short-term credentials in culinary, trades, health,
business, cosmetology, and advanced private security. On
May 16th, the school
honors students in its 68th Adult Education exceling
ceremony that recognizes those earning a high school diploma or
equivalency, followed by its 60th Career & Technical
Education Awards Ceremonies for those exceling in job training in
one of these fields.
Claudia De La Torre knows the
power of finishing a high school diploma and job training as a
certified nursing assistant. "It wasn't an easy decision as I was
helping to raise my three younger siblings, and my own daughter,"
said Claudia.
"But I received so much support from my instructor Mrs. Chow and
I'm now dreaming of becoming a Licensed Vocational Nurse. For those
questioning whether a high school diploma is worth it, it
definitely is!"
John Acharya shares similar
sentiments and is one of the CTE Award recipients. Born and raised
in Nepal in a refugee camp, he
migrated to California in 2008
with his family and had not planned to continue with college due to
finances. While working in a warehouse after high school, his
grandfather was hospitalized, and John was amazed at the nurses and
doctors who took care of him. John furthered his education at
Citrus College to become an EMT for two
years, and then enrolled at HLPAE in the Licensed Vocational
Nursing program.
John praised HLPAE, "Having a nursing director like Ms.
Silva Davila, who dedicated her time
and effort to make us great nurses, inspired and motivated me to
further my nursing career."
More information about HLPAE may be found at
https://www.hlpae.com/.
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SOURCE Hacienda La Puente Adult Education