SAN ANTONIO – Briza Villegas knew she wanted to return to school to get her GED someday, but she had to wait until her children were all in school.
In the fall, that opportunity finally arrived, and although Villegas was nervous, she showed up.
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“It’s just getting here like it was a lot. I mean, it took. It took a long time to get here. But now that I’m here, it’s like, I can’t believe I’m actually here now, you know? That makes me emotional,” Villegas said while sitting in North East ISD’s Ferrari Adult Education Center.
Villegas said the program allows her to work at her own pace, and she gets one-on-one help when she needs it.
“I’m glad that I didn’t wait longer to come because it’s not that scary,” Villegas said.
Villegas learned about the program through a flyer sent home with one of her children. Most of the time, that’s how people learn about the program, says Tricia Royster with the NEISD Adult Education program.
“The people who are here, they want to be here. They want to learn. They have a goal in mind. Some of them have a time frame in mind where they want to get it done by a certain time. So it’s very self-driven,” she said.
The GED/High School Equivalency program that Villegas enrolled in is one of three programs designed to help community members improve their lives.
The district also offers ESL classes and 12 to 14-week workforce training classes. Training and certification are for jobs that are in high demand, and some see starting pay at around $20.
“Everyone here wants to either get a better job, further their education, make their lives better for themselves, for their families, and just so that they can participate in the community. They can be better contributors to the community and, for self-fulfillment, increase confidence. We hear that a lot,” Royster said.
The classes are free to anyone inside or outside the district; they are offered year-round.
To find out more about the NEISD adult programs and career training, click here.
SAISD also has similar adult education classes; click here if you’re interested.
Northside ISD also has community education classes. Click here for more information.
